ASWM is the only nonprofit dedicated to the growth of scholarship and resources related to women and mythology. In addition to events and online services, ASWM has, to date, generated three volumes of proceedings highlighting the international work of over 60 scholars and artists.
Although the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology was founded in 2007, it had humble beginnings in activities several years before.
2001 The Women’s Thealogical Institute (WTI) convened a scholarship intensive taught by Dr. Patricia Monaghan in La Crosse WI. Patricia, Dr. Sid Reger and Dawn Work-MaKinne decided to form a listserv for women goddess scholars. The GoddessScholars community is still in existence as an email resource for over 200 women worldwide.
2002-2006 Interested WTI women and members of the GoddessScholars community met annually on an ad-hoc basis at the campground of the WTI May Gathering. We met to discuss interests/studies in goddess studies, mythology, arts and related scholarly work.
2007 Following another WTI intensive, Dr. Sid Reger and Dr. Patricia Monaghan decided that the next step was to form a nonprofit organization open to all scholars and dedicated to scholarship in women and mythology.
2008 The First GoddessScholars symposium was held in Middleton WI, the day before the WTI May Gathering. The organizers formally announced the formation of ASWM. Women who volunteered for the board: Renee Rabb, Dr. Kathryn Henderson, Dr. Sid Reger, Dr. Pat Monaghan, Dawn Work-MaKinne, Dr. Joan Cichon, Dr. Denise St. Arnault, and Maureen Aakre.
2009 First symposium under the ASWM name, in Madison WI
2010 First ASWM Conference, Kirkwood Retreat Center, PA
2011 ASWM symposia in Philadelphia PA and Madison WI
2012 ASWM Conference in San Francisco CA
2013 ASWM Symposium in St. Paul MN
2014 ASWM Conference in San Antonio TX
2015 ASWM Symposium in Portland OR
2016 ASWM Conference in Boston MA; release of Volume I of proceedings
2017 ASWM Symposium in Philadelphia PA
2018 ASWM Conference in Las Vegas NV; release of Volume II of proceedings
2019 Board retreat for long-range planning. Launch of online Scholar Salons; online resource library for members, with articles and event videos; and our preservation project that digitizes out of print scholarly works.
2020 ASWM Conference at Tamaya Resort, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM; release of Volume III of proceedings; digitized works of textile scholar Mary B. Kelly made available to members.
2021 First Online Symposium, “Wisdom Across the Ages” in celebration of the centennial of Marija Gimbutas, presented in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeomythology
2022 Online Symposium, “Hearing the Invisible: Lessons from Sentient Beings and Inter-relational Ecosystems”
2023 ASWM Conference in Syracuse NY