Limestone
Born to parents who had been enslaved, Edmondson worked as sharecropper, a railroad worker, and a hospital worker before turning in his mid-fifties to sculpture, which he saw as an expression of his religious faith. Repurposing blocks of limestone from demolished houses and other sources, he first carved tombstones and grave markers; later he made figures and ornaments, such as angels and nurses, like the one on view here. In 1937, MoMA presented an exhibition of Edmondson’s sculptures—the first of several shows that examined the work of twentieth-century “self-taught” artists, a term used at the time to describe artists who were not formally trained.
American Folk Art: Revisiting the Collection of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, June 13, 2026–August 09, 2026
Kids label from 2025
How would you describe the texture of this stone?
Before teaching himself to carve stone, William Edmondson worked at a hospital. This sculpture is of a nurse. Notice the nurse’s long hair, posture, and arm positioning.
Imagine if the sculpture came to life. Act out how the nurse might move her body and what she might do.
2025
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Revisiting the Collection of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
3 SouthA champion of the avant-garde and a cofounder of MoMA, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller played a pivotal role in recognizing folk art as integral to the artistic traditions of the United States and to a modern and inclusive art history.
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