Professor Kirsten P. Buick Traces the Life of Famous 19th Century Sculptor Edmonia Lewis
In conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition, Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits, guest lecturer, Professor Kirsten P. Buick discusses 19th century sculptor, Edmonia Lewis, the first internationally acclaimed African American sculptor. Dr. Buick was born and raised in Chicago, and attended the University of Chicago where she double majored in Art History and Italian Literature. Buick is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of New Mexico. Her latest book, Child of the Fire: Mary Edmonia Lewis and the Problem of Art History’s Black and Indian Subject, traces the life of the famous sculptor and her unusual and exciting life. Edmonia Lewis left a lifelong trail of dramas and burned bridges from Oberlin to Rome on her mission to do something for her people. Her legacy is enormous. She created many myths that amazed, tantalized, and generated interest in her work. She boldly breached barriers of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and class around a time when prejudices were widespread.