Art, care & community
Edmonia Lewis
c. 1844–1907
Massachusetts connection
Began her sculpture career in Boston
Lewis was a sculptor of Black and Ojibwe ancestry. In Boston she made portraits of abolitionists before moving to Rome. Her art gained international attention. She faced racism and barriers against women artists, yet created work that museums continue to study and share.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can making art, teaching, or caring for others change a community?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Edmonia Lewis mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: Smithsonian Institution ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?