Edmonia Lewis (1845 - 1890)
Lewis, America's first black woman sculptor, was born to a Chippewa mother and a free black father. After being orphaned at age twelve, she was adopted by abolitionist parents. Lewis received a scholarship to study at Oberlin College in Ohio and developed into an accomplished Neo-classical sculptor. She went to Rome, where she worked and exhibited with Harriet Hosmer and other famous female sculptors. In her most important works, she depicted major Native American figures, expressed her interest in black history, and incorporated images of heroic women.