Happenings AWITA Honours Leaders in Culture at SMAC Venice
A seat at the table.
As the art world gathered in Venice for the Biennale vernissage, the Association of Women in the Arts marked its 10th anniversary with the launch of AWITA Honours Leaders in Culture, a new initiative recognising women shaping the future of culture.
Held on 5 May 2026 at SMAC Venice, the inaugural Honours were celebrated at a breakfast event inside San Marco Art Centre, one of the city’s newest cultural spaces. Located in the Procuratie on Piazza San Marco, in a landmark building restored by Pritzker Prize-winning architect David Chipperfield, SMAC opened in May 2025 with a programme spanning art, design, fashion and film across 16 galleries.
Founded in 2016, AWITA exists to make the art world a fairer place by investing in women’s professional and emotional skill sets, expanding networks and supporting women working across the arts ecosystem. Its members include gallerists, curators, art advisers, academics, auction house specialists, PRs, museum professionals and art fair leaders, each with more than five years’ experience in the visual arts.
The Honours initiative centres on three pillars: Generosity & Stewardship, Visionary Perspective, and Impact & Legacy. Selected by an international nominating committee in collaboration with AWITA’s Executive Committee, the 2026 honourees span the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
The 25 women recognised were Aya Al-Bakree, Manal Al Dowayan, Nana Oforiatta Ayim, Alia Al-Senussi, Sarah Arison, Iwona Blazwick, Antonia Carver, Marisa Chearavanout, Jamile Coelho, Tera DuVernay, Mai Eldib, Dr. Madeleine Haddon, Maja Hoffmann, Candice Hopkins, Sharlene Khan, Kiran Nadar, Oluremi C. Onabanjo, Julie Rouart, Nadia Samdani MBE, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Nancy Spector, Karole Vail, Sumayya Vally, Gayane Umerova, Marie-Cécile Zinsou.
Sigrid Kirk, Director of AWITA, described the honourees as representing “a standard of practice for a positive future – leadership that is generous, visionary, and accountable.”
Beyond the breakfast itself, the initiative placed AWITA’s wider mission in focus: expanding visibility, driving equity and addressing structural gender imbalance in the arts through data, convening and cross-sector leadership. This includes Hardwiring Change, AWITA’s survey created in partnership with artnet, which generates sector-wide data on gender inequity, career progression and workplace conditions in the arts.
As Venice became the focal point for the international art world, AWITA’s inaugural Honours brought into view the women redefining cultural infrastructure and shaping the narratives that will carry the field forward.
AWITA Honours Leaders in Culture 2026
SMAC San Marco Art Centre, Venice
5 May 2026
