Jason, n.d., painted plaster
Collection Danforth Art
Selections from the Permanent Collection
November 22, 2008 — May 17, 2009
Opening Reception Saturday, November 22, 6 – 8 pm
Lecture Sunday, January 11, 3 pm given by Barry Gaither,
Director, Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
About the Artist
Generally considered one of the first African-American female sculptors of importance, Fuller was born and raised in Philadelphia and trained at the Philadelphia Museum School of the Industrial Arts. Upon graduation in 1899, she moved to France, where she studied under a number of different sculptors, including Auguste Rodin, until her return to the United States in 1902. Seven years later, she married Dr. Solomon Fuller, a resident of Framingham and also the first psychiatrist of African descent to practice in the United States. She gave birth to three sons in quick succession, yet continued sculpting practically without interruption.
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller is often described as a member of the Harlem Renaissance who is best-known for her groundbreaking depictions of the African and African-American experience. According to University of Maryland Professor Renee Ater, Fuller’s work is about “religion and nature, [and] art and nation.” The Danforth Museum of Art is proud to be the caretaker of a large body of work that expands upon some of the better-known aspects of Fuller’s oeuvre. Its collection of works by the artist is believed to be one of the largest in existence.
About the Exhibit
The Danforth Museum of Art is pleased to present a selection of sculptures from the Museum’s collection of works by long-time Framingham resident Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller (1877-1968). On view in the Landman Gallery, the exhibition features works that embrace religious themes and social issues. Also included in the exhibition is a display of the artist’s original tools and sculpting wheels.