Hiawatha & Minnehaha

These two sculptures of Native American figures, Minnehaha and Hiawatha, are chiseled with incredible skill and restraint by the Black and Native American sculptor, Edmonia Lewis. Art historian Lisa E. Farrington recounts how this talented artist and savvy businesswoman rose to prominence after the Civil War. Despite consistent backlash from the wealthy white elites of the art world, Lewis achieved great success.