This week in Denver, seemingly disparate artists Kneecap and Kent Monkman drew large crowds downtown. On a Monday night, Irish rap trio Kneecap played a sold out show at Summit. A few blocks away, the first major United States solo exhibition of Cree artist Kent Monkman was being set up at the Denver Art Museum; the subsequent exhibition opening and sold out conversation with the artist on Saturday was the largest crowd I’ve seen at DAM. With little in common at first glance, these artists are alike in their use of humor and indigenous knowledge to establish identity and colonial histories, and are now bringing their work to a larger stage.

As an organization whose mission is to advance and support women who work in the built environment, AWA+D supports and celebrates women year-round through education, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Through our sister foundation, AWAF, we provide scholarships, mid-career fellowships, and present events such as Design Like a Girl which introduces young female students to architecture and allied design professions in an accessible environment.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we wanted to share 15 women that are making an impact in today’s world of architecture, art, and design.

To commemorate the 100th year of AWA+D an oak tree was planted at Washington University in St. Louis