THANK YOU to all of the artists who entered our call for entries and to our jurors.

This year's 2026 museum exhibition selection process was incredibly competitive. Out of 791 pieces, 107 works were chosen to be exhibited in Of Mark & Meaning: American Women Artists at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville, TN.  Please click here to see the list of selected artists.

Follow AWA on social media for a sneak peek of exhibit images in the coming months. The online gallery will open with the exhibition at The Customs House Museum on February 13, 2026.

Above images clockwise from left: Angela Mia, Sally Maxwell, Pauline Roche, Karen Romani, Erica Driver, Shelley Smith, Carolyn Lord, Sheri Farabough, and Nicole Alger.

HERITAGE CIRCLE MEMBERS 

• Joni Falk
• Rogue Guirey Simpson
• Donna Howell-Sickles
• Sherrie McGraw
• Joan Potter
• Diana Reuter-Twining
• Kathrine Lemke Waste
• Star Liana York

 Heritage Circle Members are AWA members who have demonstrated exemplary service to the organization. Many are founding members of American Women Artists and have helped empower and uplift women in fine visual art across the United States and Canada for more than thirty years. A 50-year retrospective of Heritage Circle Member Star Liana York's work is currently being exhibited at The Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, AZ.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Ironwood Gallery is currently home to a breathtaking tribute to nature and artistry: Wild Arizona, a solo exhibition by AWA Master Signature Member Dyana Hesson, running from through December 7, 2025.

This landmark show celebrates 35 years of Dyana’s vibrant oil paintings, each one a love letter to Arizona’s native plants and landscapes. Known for her bold, large-scale compositions, Dyana elevates singular desert flora with scientific precision and emotional reverence. Her subjects are discovered through immersive experiences—hiking, ecological fieldwork, and restoration efforts—making each painting deeply personal and ecologically rooted.

Her work is represented by Bonner David Gallery (Scottsdale/New York), Manitou Galleries (Santa Fe), and Madaras Gallery (Tucson), and has been featured in Arizona Highways Magazine. Dyana’s paintings are held in both public and private collections nationwide.

We are proud to spotlight Dyana’s extraordinary journey and her unwavering dedication to both art and conservation. Wild Arizona is a testament to the power of place, passion, and paint.

🔗 Explore the exhibition: desertmuseumarts.com
🔗 Discover Dyana’s stories: dyanahesson.com

Image Caption: Only on Sunny Days, Parry’s Gentian, West Baldy Trail, AZ, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 40 

Warm wishes for the start of the holiday season. As the leaves burst with color, the days get shorter, and the nights cozier, we are so proud to have you as part of AWA.