Meta Warrick Fuller’s talent was recognized and nurtured from her youth. In 1894, at age 17, she won a scholarship to the prestigious Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art. The future looked bright.
Fuller was even able to study in Paris after college! But first, she had to push through discrimination and discouragement because of her race and gender. Her work was undeniable, though, and she eventually apprenticed under world-renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin.
Because of her realistic style, and interest in intense themes such as suffering and struggle, she became known as the “delicate sculptor of horrors.”
She returned to the U.S., but continued to face racist, sexist, and classist discrimination in the art world because she focused on everyday Black people, as well as Black history and achievements.
When a mysterious fire destroyed her studio - and 16 years’ worth of work - she considered quitting art altogether.
But in 1913, W.E.B Du Bois asked her to contribute to an art show commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. She renewed her efforts, creating gorgeous pieces that many consider the first Pan-African artworks, and which inspired the Harlem Renaissance.
She is now considered one of the most important and influential Black women sculptors ever - a testament to resilience, passion, and staying true to her vision and her people!