WOMEN: A Century of Change
National Geographic’s Unparalleled Image Collection
Now – June 30, 2024
Visual Arts Center | Everist Gallery
Join us as we celebrate trailblazing women who have made it possible to say definitively that the future is female! “WOMEN: A Century of Change” boasts more than 100 images drawn from the National Geographic archives and reveals the lives of women from more than 30 countries from the turn of the 20th century until now. These powerful images are organized into six themes including joy, beauty, love, wisdom, strength and hope. Through these themes, visitors will experience how women around the world have filled their days, been perceived, faced challenges and more.
In celebration of the Washington Pavilion’s 25th anniversary, we are thrilled to host this powerful traveling exhibition. These iconic and celebrated photographs were taken by renowned National Geographic photographers such as Jodi Cobb, Lynsey Addario, Ami Vitale, Erika Larsen and Steve McCurry.
Sponsored by: Sioux Falls Woman’s Alliance Fund of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation 
"WOMEN: A Century of Change" is organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. constitutional amendment confirming women’s right to vote in 2019, a powerful exhibition and book from National Geographic showcases iconic women around the world. WOMEN: A CENTURY OF CHANGE illuminates, celebrates and reflects on where the world’s women have been, where they are now and where they are going.
The exhibition’s stunning photographs, drawn from National Geographic’s unparalleled image collection, span nine decades and feature a myriad of countries. Each image creates a portrait of some aspect of women’s existence and shows exhibition visitors how the depiction of women has evolved since National Geographic’s founding in 1888.
Featuring additional behind-the-scenes stories from famed female National Geographic photographers, including Lynsey Addario, Jodi Cobb and Ami Vitale, about some of their most arresting images of women, this provocative exhibition examines women’s lifestyles across world cultures, from historic images to the haunting green-eyed “Afghan girl.”
Complementing the exhibition is an additional section: Portraits of Power. These are 24 intimate portraits and biographies of an iconic group of activists, luminaries, politicians and celebrities who were interviewed for the book by National Geographic magazine’s first female editor-in-chief, Susan Goldberg. Among those featured are Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Jane Goodall, gun control activist Emma González, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
WOMEN is a compelling, timely and richly diverse exhibition. It honors groundbreaking women everywhere who’ve made it possible to say, definitively, that the future is female.
