William M. Edmondson

Place: Davidson County

Born: 1874

Death: 1951

Biography:

William Edmondson (c. 1874–1951) was an African-American folk art sculptor who was the first African American to have a solo exhibition (1937) at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). He was born in Davidson county, Tennessee, the son of freed slaves, and moved to Nashville at the age of 16. He worked on the railroad and then as a janitor at Nashville Woman’s Hospital, becoming a stonemason's assistant and learning to carve limestone. He primarily used limestone of varying colors and textures to create his sculptures, or what he called 'miracles'. His works are mainly inspired by religious themes and he is best known for his tombstones and sculptures of animals, birds, and human figures.