Erika Ranee
Recipient of a 2023 Grant from
Anonymous Was A Woman

Anonymous Was A Woman is an unrestricted grant of $25,000 that enables women artists, over 40 years of age and at a significant juncture in their lives or careers, to continue to grow and pursue their work. The Award is given in recognition of an artist's accomplishments, artistic growth, originality and potential.  It is not need-based. The Award is by nomination only. Winners were chosen from among a competitive pool of applicants recommended by a group of distinguished art historians, curators, writers, and artists who serve as anonymous nominators. The 2023 award recipients range in age from 42 to 87, and work in mediums including painting, installation, performance, photography, film/video, and new media. The “no strings-attached” award is intended to provide them freedom to continue development of their creative vision. Bios of each recipient follow.

Read the Full Press Release

Anonymous Was A Woman was founded by artist Susan Unterberg in 1996. In 2018, after more than two decades of anonymity, Unterberg revealed her identity as the founder and sole patron of the award program. That news elevated the profile of the award, and led to several events and public discussions about making art as a woman, featuring past award recipients. Until 2021, the funding for AWAW came solely from Unterberg. AWAW has awarded $7 million to 295 artists since 1996. The name of the grant program, Anonymous Was A Woman, refers to a line in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. As the name implies, nominators and those associated with the program are unnamed. The award was begun in 1996 in response to the decision of the National Endowment of the Arts to cease support of individual artists.

“I am delighted to congratulate this year’s award recipients—a group of artists who represent a wide spectrum of perspectives, backgrounds, and formal practices,” said Unterberg. “When I started Anonymous Was A Woman, I did so to address a need that I felt personally and observed among my peers. Nearly a quarter century later, that need persists. It is an honor to come to know these artists and their practices, and I am very excited to see what the award recipients do next.”