Edmonia Lewis (1845 - 1911)

Edmonia Lewis was born a free black woman in Greenbush, New York in either 1843 or 1845. Her father was African-American and her mother was African and Native American, a Mississauga of the Chippewa nation. Her parents died when she was nine, so she went to live with her mother's people until she had enough money to pay for college.

In 1859, she was able to attend Oberlin College in Ohio but unfortunately was accused of poisoning two white students. She was acquitted of the crime but forced to leave the college because her reputation was ruined. She moved to Boston where she made friends with a number of liberal philosophers and artists including female sculptors Anne Whitney and Harriet Hosmer. She studied under the direction of sculptor Edward Brackett. Although her work was popular in Boston, she never felt truly accepted.

After the Civil War, Edmonia traveled to Italy where she met well-known American writers, including Harriet Beecher Stowe (the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin) and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, of whom she did a marble bust. Even though she had no money, she continued to work on her sculptures. Her work was last shown in Chicago in 1878, but after that she seems to have disappeared. The date of her death is unknown for certain, although she may have died in Rome some time between 1910 and 1911.

She was a pioneer in many ways - not only was she a Black woman, she was also Native American. She was trying to be an artist at a time when it was difficult for women, and even more difficult for women of color. Even when she did receive praise, she always felt like it wasn't really genuine. Her work was powerful, mixing elements of Neoclassical sculpture with a more natural style. She felt strongly about prejudice and political issues, and used her work to express her philosophy. Today her work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.