Georgia Women to Watch—A Book Arts Revolution
Georgia Artists Boldly redefining + challenging the boundaries of the book as an artistic medium
Eileen Wallace, Cynthia Lollis, Serena Perrone, Hannah Israel + Eliza Bentz, Photo Credit: Kim Link Photography, Artwork Credit: Jiha Moon (Georgia Woman to Watch 2015)
The Georgia Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (GA NMWA) is pleased to share the selections of Consulting Curator Cynthia Nourse Thompson for the 2026 iteration of Georgia Women to Watch
ATLANTA — Five women who demonstrate significant creativity and innovation in contemporary book arts, with work that pushes boundaries and reimagines the nature of books.
These talented artists engage with the rich and intricate history of bookmaking while also exploring the vast possibilities of the form—structurally, conceptually, and politically. It is a privilege to witness such innovative practices that embody resilience, experimentation, and the transformative power of storytelling in its many varied expressions. — Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Consulting Curator
Cynthia Lollis (Decatur, GA) Eileen Wallace (Athens, GA) Eliza Bentz (Savannah, GA) Hannah Israel (Columbus, GA) Serena Perrone (Atlanta, GA)
ABOUT OUR CURATOR
Cynthia Nourse Thompson has curated more than 50 exhibitions since 2000. Prior to her current role as professor and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University, Thompson was associate professor and director of the graduate programs in book arts and printmaking and studio art at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has also served as associate professor and curator of exhibitions at University of Arkansas and curator and consulting director of visual arts at the Walton Arts Center both located in Fayetteville, Arkansas; twelve years as professor of book, print and paper arts and chair of fine arts at Memphis College of Art; and additionally worked at Dieu Donné Papermill, Harlan & Weaver Intaglio and Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper now the Brodsky Center at PAFA. Thompson has been awarded numerous residencies including Yaddo, Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, Women’s Studio Workshop, Visual Studies Workshop, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Penland Winter Residencies, and a Maker-Creator Fellowship at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. She also served as a visiting scholar and printer in residence with her collaborator David Charles Chioffi at the Bodleian Bibliographical Press in Oxford U.K. in May 2022. Thompson has also been visiting faculty at University of Georgia’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy and Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. Thompson received her BFA in printmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
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A Book Arts Revolution: Georgia Women to Watch will be on view at the Atlanta Contemporary — February 1 - May 17, 2026
Saturday, January 31, 2026 — 6-8pm: Exhibition Opening Celebration at Atlanta Contemporary (ticketed event)
Sunday, February 1, 2026 — 12 pm: Artist & Curator Talk (free and open to the public)
May 2026: Public announcement of the Georgia Artist selected to participate in NMWA’s Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution Exhibition
April 2027: Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution opens to the public at NMWA
Women to Watch 2027—A Book Arts Revolution
NMWA Museum Visitor, Photo by Derek Baker for NMWA
WASHINGTON, DC | Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution, on view at NMWA from April to August 2027, will be a dynamic exploration of contemporary artists’ books: works of art in book form. Artists’ books can appear in a wide variety of formats and materials, encompassing innovative uses of paper and print, sculptural works, and much more. This exhibition encourages audiences to rethink the nature of book arts by challenging assumptions about the medium and featuring works that combine approaches and techniques.
The exhibition coincides with NMWA’s 40th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the Women to Watch series, which supports the careers of women and nonbinary artists across regional and international art scenes. The 16 featured regions in 2027 include Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Greater Kansas City Area, Massachusetts, Mid-Atlantic Region, New York, Ohio, San Francisco/Northern California, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming in the U.S.; and Italy, Japan, South Asia, and the United Kingdom abroad. In honor of the anniversary, a dynamic slate of programming will celebrate past and current Women to Watch participants.
From each of NMWA’s 16 national and international committees, Curator Tia Blassingame will select the artists and work will be included in the 2027 exhibition in Washington, D.C.
About Tia Blassingame:
The proprietor of Primrose Press, Tia is a book artist, printmaker, and scholar whose work examines the intersection of race, history, and material culture through artists’ books and print media. She is Associate Professor of Art at Scripps College, where she teaches letterpress printing and book arts and serves as director of Scripps College Press. Blassingame is the founder of the Book/Print Artist/Scholar of Color Collective, an initiative that fosters collaboration and engagement among BIPOC artists and scholars of book history and print culture.
About Liaison Curator Elizabeth Ajunwa:
Elizabeth Ajunwa is the director of NMWA’s Library and Research Center. Since joining the institution in 2022, she has served as curator for the museum’s book arts acquisitions.