Choose Your May

Who Was May Wright Sewall?

May Wright Sewall was one of the most significant figures in Indianapolis during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As an educator and activist, she played an important role in cultural initiatives focusing on art and education. She led campaigns for suffrage, women’s rights, and world peace, working alongside leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.

Some examples of the organizations she helped found and/or lead include the Art Association of Indianapolis (now Newfields), Indianapolis Woman’s Club, Indianapolis Propylaeum, and Girls’ Classical School, the International Council of Women, and the National Woman Suffrage Association.

What Were May Wright Sewall’s Values?

Sewall’s activism laid the groundwork for Newfields’ values of excellence, stewardship, service, and inclusivity.

Equality and Inclusivity

Sewall campaigned for equality and inclusivity in a variety of fields—from the arts to education and suffrage. She asserted that voting was a right, not a privilege. She believed that women’s participation in political and civic life would have the potential of “uplifting humanity.”

Service through Social Reforms

Sewall devoted her work to social reforms, and in particular, opportunities for women. Although initiatives were primarily available to white, affluent individuals, her philosophy emphasized the importance of arts, culture, suffrage, and education to improve the quality of life of current and future generations.

Excellence in Arts and Culture

Sewall supported arts and culture in Indianapolis. She helped establish the Art Association of Indianapolis, which hosted exhibitions and educational initiatives. She organized clubs to encourage conversations about various topics and also led the creation of the Propylaeum—a gathering place for civic and cultural groups.


Who in Indianapolis today embodies May Wright Sewall’s values?

A committee will be formed to select “Modern-Day Mays.” Selections will be based on the commitments that guided May Wright Sewall’s activism and that continue to shape Newfields’ values:

  • Equality and Inclusivity
  • Service through Social Reforms
  • Excellence in Arts and Culture

We’ll honor the “Modern-Day Mays” in spring/summer 2024.

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Image Credit

Mary Wright Sewall, circa 1880, taken by the Indianapolis photography studio Marceau & Power. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-75447.

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