Sculptor a pioneer for women, minority artists
Edmonia Lewis had many odds against her and she beat every one to shatter expectations about what women and minority artists could accomplish.
Lewis was the first woman of African-American and Native American heritage to achieve international recognition and fame as a sculptor in the fine arts world. Her work is known for incorporating themes relating to black people and indigenous peoples of the Americas into Neoclassical-style sculpture.
Some of Lewis’ life is still a mystery, so it’s not known exactly when she was born, but it’s commonly believed to have been in Ohio or New York between 1843-1845. Her father was a free African-American and her mother a Chippewa (Ojibwa) Indian and she was given the name Wildfire. Orphaned before she was five, Lewis lived with her mother’s nomadic tribe until she was twelve years old and her life revolved around swimming, fishing and making and selling crafts.
Her older brother, Sunrise, left the Chippewas and moved to California where he became a gold miner. He financed
