Women’s History Month Spotlight: The Virginia Women’s Monument

At the Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women’s Monument, more than 200 names are etched into the glass Wall of Honor, and 11 life-sized bronze statues stand to acknowledge the brave, creative, and wise contributions of Virginian women across four centuries. These women shaped our culture, country, and the Commonwealth.

One of those women is Adèle Clark. A co-founder of the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia in 1909, Clark became known for her “street-corner sketches,” which she used to draw crowds while advocating for women’s voting rights. After the passage of the 19^th Amendment, she helped lead the Virginia League of Women Voters, serving multiple terms as president. Beyond her activism, she co-founded the Atelier art studio, supporting the development of what became the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) and served more than two decades on the Virginia Arts Commission.