Lauren Console of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, beams as she holds her copy of Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: A Commemorative Collage.  President Jean E. Holmes (left) signed Lauren's copy and encouraged the young author to keep writing as Adminstrative Director Faith Prince looks on.  Over one thousand attended the event at the International Spy Musuem to celebrate Summer Reading Month. More than 200 of our Lincoln anthologies and 40 issues of the Pen Woman Magzine were given out as people lined up at the NLAPW table- including students, educators, librarians,organizational leaders and visitors from around the United States, Germany, Mexico, and China.  Many requested copies of our curricula with lesson plans for all grade levels.

       Welcome to the home of American Pen Women, one of the oldest and most venerable arts organizations for women in the United States. With 135 branches throughout the country, we are a community of professional artists, writers, poets, composers, and arrangers who believe in the power of words, art, and music to illuminate the human experience, fire the imagination, and nurture the soul.

      When our founders established the organization in 1897, they wanted to bring together women of the arts “for mutual benefits and the strength that comes of union.” Today we are a 501(c)(3) corporation.  Our mission is to encourage, recognize and promote the production of creative work of professional standard in Art, Letters, and Music. As Pen Women, we are also dedicated to sharing our talents and time with non-members through outreach programs to foster the arts.

      Our archives chronicle the legacy of illustrious members, such as Vinnie Ream, Eudora Welty, Pearl Buck, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amy Beach, and Carrie Jacobs Bond. And there are thousands more. (To learn more about our past, please visit our History tab)

       Like the grand old house that serves as our headquarters in Washington, DC, and graces our history page, we have offered a place for women in the arts to gather for generations. We honor the traditions that have sustained us for over 112 years and embrace the unbounded opportunities for creative expression as we progress through the 21st century.

       Please explore our site and if you have interest in becoming a member, you will find the information under the “Membership” tab. Thank you for visiting American Pen Women.