ALMOST
FORGOTTEN
WOMEN ARTISTS
An initiative of the Cameron Parsons Foundation dedicated to discovering and spotlighting influential women artists whose contributions have largely been obscured and overlooked. AFWA believes that recognizing their artwork and bringing to light their unique stories are essential for understanding 20th century art through these womens eyes.
ARCHIVE HIGHLIGHTS
“The initiative is a natural evolution of the Foundation’s mission, very few women made it into the art world during Cameron’s era, it is no secret that there has been significant disparity in the art world regarding women artists of the 20th century. When you think of successful women artists who does one think of? Generally, only a few names are remembered. Why is it a de Kooning has sold for millions of dollars, yet women of equal talent have not? If AFWA does not seek to identify and consider women artists of the 20th century, who is going to advocate for them?”
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
The AFWA initiative began with an inquiry to the Cameron Parsons Foundation concerning a possible newly discovered work by Cameron. That inquiry led to an important realization: like Cameron, other women artists of her generation had been marginalized, overlooked, or nearly erased from the historical record. This moment brought renewed attention to the work of Boston-based painter Betty Gross (1926–2016) and revealed a broader pattern of historical neglect affecting women artists of the twentieth century.
Rooted in the Foundation’s commitment to safeguarding Cameron’s legacy, AFWA was established to extend that same care, research, and advocacy to her contemporaries. With Cameron’s work now secured in major museum collections, the initiative focuses on identifying, restoring, and contextualizing the work of women artists whose contributions have been forgotten or misattributed—ensuring their rightful place within the history of modern art.
Support AFWA
Your donation directly supports this work—helping to preserve artworks, document artists’ lives and legacies, and ensure these women’s voices are seen, studied, and remembered for generations to come. Every contribution plays a role in bringing these artists back into the cultural conversation.