Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller Historical Marker

This historical marker, located in Philadelphia on S. 12th Street, notes the importance of Meta V.W. Fuller's life. She was a native to Philadelphia, and went on to become one of the most influential Black, female sculptors in the 20th century. The marker reads, "One of the leading Black female sculptors in America. She lived here, studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, later with Auguste Rodin in Paris. Her sculpture depicted human suffering. [Fuller also studied at the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art.]" Her artistic achievements and success are notable, and her work often depicts images of African culture or the African American experience. This plaque notes her impacts and helps to preserve her legacy. The marker itself is located on public grounds, and protrudes from the sidewalk in the heart of the city's cultural district.

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller is a notable former resident of Philadelphia and plays an important part of the city's artistic history. Fuller was born in Philadelphia on June 9, 1877 into an affluent family. She had access to educational resources that set her on a strong academic path, and pursued artistic habits such as piano, guitar, dance, drawing, and design from a young age. After attending the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, she moved to Paris in 1899 to further her studies the arts of drawing and sculpture. For three years, she studied there under world-renowned sculptor Rodin and developed her own unique style. Fuller returned to Philadelphia in 1902 and began to gain global recognition for her sculptures depicting African glory, pain, and history.

Fuller broke barriers in the art field as an African American woman. Soon after her return to the United States, Fuller's work was commissioned for three major fairs and expositions, with the help of friends W. E. B. Du Bois and Thomas J. Calloway. In 1907 she became the first African American woman to receive a government commission to create art that depicted African American history for the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition. The National Emancipation Exposition commissioned her piece Emancipation in 1913 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Her piece Ethiopia was also displayed and highly praised at the 1921 America's Making Exposition, and other works found success in exhibitions both domestically and internationally. Fuller became widely successful despite facing prejudice, racism, sexism, and doubts about her artistic ability. Her career was during a time where it was difficult for African Americans and women to get the recognition they deserved due to societal prejudice. Despite this, her dedication to artistic advocacy paid off.

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller's advocacy and activism are recognized alongside her art. She was very moved by causes such as women's suffrage and civil rights. A bulk of her pieces are directly intertwined with the Harlem Renaissance (1918-1937). This movement focused on the success of African American activists, poets, musicians, artists, in addition to celebrating their rich culture and history. Black excellence was the main theme, and Fuller gained recognition due to her pieces depicting African American experiences. It was noted in Bridgewater State University's Hall of Black Achievement collection that Fuller's sculpture Ethiopia Awakening "...anticipated the spirit and style of the Harlem Renaissance. Entitled Ethiopia Awakening, it symbolized the emergence of the New Negro. Her desire to awaken Black people to the consciousness of nationhood and anti-colonialism is evident..." (BSU). Fuller continued her successful career until the 1950s when she stepped back to care for her sick husband. After his death in 1953, she returned to the scene, inspired by the Civil Rights movement and its cause. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller impacted society with her sculptures and the complex meanings behind each piece. Her success continued as her work was featured in numerous exhibitions, museums, and public installations. Fuller worked on creating new pieces up until her death in 1968 at the age of 90.

Today, Fuller is still recognized for her artistic achievements. She depicted subjects of African and African American experiences that had never gained artistic representation on such a large scale, in addition to her works that touched on religion, society, history, inequality, and political movements going on at the time. Her unique style and deep significances set her apart from other artists of the time. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller's work can still be seen in museums, private collections, and public spaces- such as her Emancipation (1913) sculpture located at Harriet Tubman Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Her legacy is also present in her birth city, Philadelphia. The historical marker commemorating Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller was erected in 1992 by Pennsylvania's Historical & Museum Commission. Her recognition is well-deserved, and she will stand in history as an influential African American female artist who defied societal expectations and worked hard for her success.

Ater, Renée . Women of the Harlem Renaissance. University Press of Mississippi, 2014. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cm/detail.action?docID=1770987.

Brundage, W. Fitzhugh. “Meta Warrick’s 1907 ‘Negro Tableaux’ and (Re)Presenting African American Historical Memory.” The Journal of American History 89, no. 4 (2003): 1368–1400. https://doi.org/10.2307/3092547.

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. (1992). In Massachusetts Hall of Black Achievement. Item 27.

https://vc.bridgew.edu/hoba/27