Go Your Own Way - Inspiring Women

I came across these two inspiring women by chance.  I was searching for images of vintage women and found the photo of Maude Adams and later discovered her most interesting story.  Later, while googling another 'outsider' artist, I came across Clementine Hunter and her amazing journey.  

The Maude Adams collage was based on her image and only afterwards did I find her story. As you can see, she evoked flowers and Victoriana.  As it turns out, Maude was the first actress to play Peter Pan - The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow up  on Broadway in 1905. It was long running and she appeared in the role several times over the following decade. The collar of her costume, which she had co-designed, sparked a fashion trend known as the 'Peter Pan' collar, which we still refer to.  After Broadway, she went into producing and helped design new theatre stage lighting.

Although often referred to as 'shy and retiring' she actually was happily and privately in long-term relationships with two women in her life, that ended with her partners deaths.  Lillie Florence from the early 1890s until 1901 and  Mary Louise Boynton from 1905 until 1951.  Mary Louise was an newspaper publisher and editor. Their graves are under a shared headstone. 

They quietly went their own way.

Maude Adams - Go Your Own Way collage

  

Maude Adams as Peter Pan 1905

"The Lord just gave it to me and I took it up. 

I didn't know whether it was right or wrong, but I painted"

Clementine Hunter

My little homage collage.  The right side of the painting is based on a photo of her cabin. The left side uses an image of her front porch, featuring her 50 cent sign for paintings.  The black symbol on the left was her 'mark' to sign her work. The flowers featured are from her many joyous paintings of flowers.

Clementine Hunter - Go Your Own Way collage

Clementine Hunter was born on a plantation in 1887 where her parents had been enslaved in Natchitoches Parrish, Louisiana, about 70 miles north of Shreveport. She never learned to read or write and only spoke Creole French until she learned English from her husband.  

In the 1920's Melrose Plantation became artist colony. In 1939,  when Clementine was in her 50's she came up some artist supplies that been left behind to throw away and she was moved to paint a river baptism on an old window shade and her career as an artist began.  She used whatever she could find to paint with and on. She painted scenes from her life and memory with vibrant colors and flowers. She sold paintings from her little room for 25 cents. She created many quilts.  Eventually she was 'discovered' and her work was taken to galleries. 

In 1955 she was the first African-American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Delgado Museum, now the  New Orleans Museum of Art. But as a terrible sign of the times, she was not allowed to attend the show; as African-Americans were not allowed in the museum. She was given a 'tour' of her own show the night before it opened, entering through the back door.

In the 1970's when Clementine was in her 80's, she was invited by President Jimmy Carter to come to the White House.  She declined, saying, 'If President Carter wants to see me, he knows where I live, so he can come visit me.' She never traveled far beyond her home. She passed in 1988 at 101.  

She went her own way.

Her work is now in major art institutions - The Smithsonian American Art museum, National Museum of Women In the Arts, American Folk Art museum in NY and other museums and galleries.   

 Till another time. Thanks for looking.