The 2026 Biennial brought together Pen Women from across the country for three days of celebrations, networking, and learning. Thank you to all those who attended and to the event host, Central New York Branch, who made this amazing event possible.
Featured Content
Biennial Scenes
- View a photo gallery of the event (coming soon)
- Read the Vinnie Ream Banquet keynote address by Kim Villanueva, CEO of NOW
Art Competition
- View a photo gallery of the winning works (coming soon)
- Watch a video of all art competition entries
Letters Competition
Music Competition
- Read about the music competition winners
- Read a review of the Biennial music performance
- Watch a video of the music performance featuring this year’s winning compositions
- Watch an excerpt from the performance, featuring Jerry Casey’s “Riches”
Event Highlights
The Central New York Branch, in honor of its 100th anniversary, hosted NLAPW’s 52nd Biennial in Washington, D.C., at The Pen Arts Building and The Darcy boutique hotel on April 24-26. The event included networking opportunities for all Pen Women, panel discussions, workshops, a bus tour around the capital, guided walking tours, and nationally known speakers.
Nancy Avery Dafoe, who was elected president, and Sheila M. Byrnes, immediate past president, co-chaired the Biennial, working with their CNY Branch committee for many months.
Keynote speaker for the Vinnie Ream Banquet on Friday evening was National Organization for Women CEO Kim Villanueva, who drew on the connections between the women’s organizations for her inspirational speech that included a deep dive into the League’s history and Vinnie Ream’s accomplishments.
Winners of the Vinnie Ream competition in letters (Pat Underwood), art (Mary Ann Miller), and music (Mary Fineman) received their awards following Villanueva’s talk. The recipients of the first cross-genre competition also received their awards at the banquet: Lucy Arnold and Georgia A. Popoff for their accordion book, and the team of Cynthia Pederson and Barbara Watermam-Peters. Later that evening, Biennial letters competition winners read their works to an intimate audience.
The new officers and board members were installed at the business meeting. Special appreciation was given to two-term President Sheila M. Byrnes; Joan Applebaum, who served as the art chair but will be stepping down for personal commitments, and Lyn Loewi, who served as the music chair.
Attorney and writer Lori B. Duff gave the Letters Luncheon speech on the topic of “Taxes, Copyright, and Incorporation, Oh, My!” that had members laughing while digesting all that tax information. At the Art and Music Luncheon, Loewi offered an inspirational talk and slide show about women’s accomplishments in composing.
Biennial presentations included the very talented Megha Sood, who offered a workshop on “Poetry is Personal, Poetry is Political.” The dynamo team of Vanessa Johnson, Christina Larson, Elizabeth MacQueen, Dawn Petrill, and Sally Stormon offered a most unique panel discussion on “The Curious Phenomena of Dementia and Dying.” Grace Joy Reid demonstrated how to “Set a Melody to Text.” Neha Dadhich, Ph.D., took participants through an art workshop on “Mystical Nature: The Spirit of Gond Art.” Dafoe presented a workshop on the “Fruitful Frustration of Poetic Constraints,” filling in for Kari Ann Ebert, who was unable to attend.
A roundtable discussion on the benefits of the cross-genre competition, titled “Creative Transformation,” was led by Applebaum, Arnold, Dafoe, Popoff, Terri Dusseau, Janet Fagal, and Darlene Yeager-Torre. Wilma Davidson led a discussion on “Art and Found Day,” bringing branch creative collaborations into the community.
A bus trip around the capital with “A Tour of Their Own,” coordinated by Janine DeBaise, was a highlight for many Pen Women, who had an opportunity to see Vinnie Ream sculptures and visit the National Gallery of Women in the Arts, among other sites. The group celebrated the League and the CNY Branch’s 100th anniversary with a Champagne toast, given by Popoff, at one of the stops on the trip.
Final highlights of the weekend included guided walking tours to Planet Word, the Phillips Gallery, and Kramer Books.
The League’s next Biennial in 2028 will be hosted in Sarasota, Florida. Mark your calendars!