On this date, William Edmondson was born in Nashville, Tennessee (not 1863, but 1874). He became the first African American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, in 1937. A self-taught sculptor, Edmondson began carving tombstones before turning to expressive limestone sculptures of animals, biblical figures, and everyday people—what he called “visions from God.”
His deeply spiritual and humble work, carved with found tools, made him a central figure in American folk art and a trailblazer for Black artists in the mainstream art world.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
