Hidden Figures: Edmonia Lewis #BlackHERstoryMonth 2/28 (Patreon)

Today's hidden figure is Edmonia Lewis, the first professional African-American fine arts sculptor to receive international acclaim. Born in 1844, Lewis briefly attended Oberlin at the age of 15, where she studied art until she was not allowed to graduate after being falsely accused by white classmates of poisoning, then theft. After being badly beaten by a white mob and arrested, Lewis left Ohio for Boston. 

There, she began to work as an artist, creating sculptures and portraits of famous abolitions that proved to be extremely popular. Lewis then moved to Rome with the money from sales of these works, where she learned to sculpt with marble and created art centered around African-Americans and Native Americans. Her work garnered international recognition, making her the first Black sculptor to achieve professional success and fame.

#HiddenFigures #BlackHERstoryMonth

Some of my related videos:

My Black Life: On Art and Accessibility:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWMhHODkcAA

So, About That Kanye West 'Famous' Video... On Black Art and the white Gaze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWjL9giKnUY

******************

Follow me on social media!

Twitter: @seren_sensei

Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu

Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com

Snapchat: sssseren

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q

******************

Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture'

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6

Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa

******************

Links: 

'Iconic Fine Arts Sculptor Edmonia Lewis Honored In Google Doodle:'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/iconic-fine-arts-sculptor-edmonia-lewis-honored-in-google-doodle_us_5891e3c2e4b0522c7d3e17ee

'Google Doodle salutes pioneering sculptor Edmonia Lewis to kick off Black History Month:'

http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/technology/ct-black-history-month-google-doodle-edmonia-lewis-20170201-story.html

Smithsonian American Art Museum Renwick Gallery: Edmond Lewis:

http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=2914

EDMONIA LEWIS:

http://www.edmonialewis.com

http://www.edmonialewis.com/favorite_quotations.htm

Hutchins Center for African and African-Aerican Research: Lewis, Edmonia:

http://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/lewis-edmonia-c-1844–after-1909-sculptor

Edmonia Lewis Biography:

http://www.biography.com/people/edmonia-lewis-9381053#synopsis

Edmonia Lewis (Wikipedia):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonia_Lewis