TONI TALKS | ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE | RECASTING HER REALITY

Edmonia Lewis: Serendipitously Sculpting Her Story

Showcasing Neoclassical stone statues depicting Black and Indigenous American Heritage set the stage for success.

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Enraptured by a likeness of Benjamin Franklin on public display in 1864 awakened a dormant instinct. A spiritual spark would grow into a fire that lit artist Edmonia Lewis from within.

Though she had no words to describe the art form she was looking at, it roused a passion that could not be extinguished. Lewis was overcome with the indescribable sense that she possessed the talent to work with stone.

The only problem was she didn’t know a thing about sculpting. Focused on learning, Lewis sought an apprenticeship from masters of the craft.

Repeated refusals strengthened her resolve.

Undeterred, the famous sculptor Edward Augustus Brackett relented and took her under his wing. Brackett was commercially successful in making marble busts. He was known for his work with American abolitionists.

Under his tutelage Lewis’ created busts of white men who fought to end slavery. They included John Brown, Charles Sumner, and William Story. Once trained, her biggest concern was landing commissions.

During this time, Civil War raged in the background.

Lewis was also a freedom fighter. She was involved in the “Underground Railroad,” which allowed slaves to escape north. She was also credited for organizing one of the first Black regiments to fight in the Civil War.

In 1871, Lewis carved a marble bust of Abraham Lincoln.

When the North won, Lewis immigrated to Rome, Italy, where she lived the rest of her life. She opened a studio to International acclaim, and her fighting spirit was quelled by her ability to create.

Edmonia Lewis was among the first Black Americans recognized for her undeniable artistic talent. All of her sculptures tell a story. She was lauded for her ability to literally make stones speak.

I was introduced to her work in college. “Forever Free” was one of her most potent sculptures. It is a study of an enslaved man who was just granted his freedom. One hand is clenched in a fist, and the otherprotects his wife.

I wrote a paper on it as a freshman. The consensus was that the sculpture captured the two dominant feelings that African Americans expressed after the Emancipation Proclamation.

First, there was a feeling of joy, empowerment, and the reality that this new right must be protected. I fell down the rabbit hole of researching Lewis’ life. She faced many hardships and powered through at a time when success for a Black woman was unheard of.

Since I stumbled upon her historical contribution in 1982, Sculptor Edmonia Lewis has remained one of my artistic “Sheroes.”

TODAY’S STATEMENT OF GRATITUDE

The sentiment ➖ Go where you’re celebrated NOT tolerated ➖ rises out of Lewis story. Instead of fighting a losing battle to show her work in the USA, she went where her excellence was appreciated.