Clementine Hunter
The career of Clementine Hunter is often compared to that of Grandma Moses, as they are both icons of American folk art and started their artistic careers late in life. Hunter was born in December 1886 or January 1887 in Loutierville, Louisiana, where her family worked on a plantation. She went to school for a short time and never learned to read or write. The family eventually moved to Melrose Plantation where Hunter worked for many years picking cotton and then keeping house. The plantation had been started by the free black Marie Therese who imbued the property with African and Creole traditions and architecture. Cammie Henry was the owner of the plantation when Hunter arrived, and under Henry's stewardship the place became a magnet for southern artists and writers. A man named Francois Mignon was tapped to care for the the plantation's historical collections, and it was he who first encouraged Hunter to pick up a paintbrush around 1939. She used paints left behind by guests, and would use a variety of objects as her canvas. Most of the several thousand paintings she created depict African American life on the plantation in the early 20th century - planting and picking cotton and pecans, religious services, chores, and the occasional juke joint. With Mignon's assistance, Hunter became well known in the south and in 1955 she was the first African American to have a solo exhibit at what is now the New Orleans Museum of Art. She continued to give away her paintings to friends, though her work sold for thousands of dollars to private collectors and museums. Clementine Hunter died in 1988 at her home near Melrose Plantation. Her work can be seen at the Museum of American Folk Art, the Smithsonian and more.
