The New York Society of Women Artists (NYSWA) was founded in 1925 and devoted itself to avant garde women artists. The original organization had 23 painters and sculptors. From its founding, all the artists in the Society were recognized as professionals. Early founders included Minna Harkavy, Henrietta Shore, Bena Frank Meyer, and others. Four of the original members participated in The Armory Show; some were members of the Whitney Studio Club and the Society of Independent Artists.

The original members earned Guggenheim Fellowships and Prix de Rome; six members participated in the Federal Arts Program established during the New Deal. Critical response to the exhibitions was overwhelmingly favorable and a review in Art News described the group as a battalion of Amazons that is surely unbeatable. A 1987 show at New York's ACA Gallery commemorated the organization with an exhibition and catalogue.

Currently the group numbers 44 active members: 32 two dimensional artists, 11 sculptors, and 1 inactive member. Many of us have had our work exhibited in galleries and museums in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

Among our past members we counted with Theresa Bernstein. She was more than 110 years old when she passed away on April 2002. Her work was often compared to the Ashcan School. She distinguished herself early on as one of the founders and members of the Ten Philadelphia Painters, a group of women artists, later known simply as The Ten; Her paintings are part of the collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY, The Jewish Museum, New York, NY, The Library of Congress, Washington, DC, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY and Museum of the City of New York, New York, NY.