Museum Visit- Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch Museum Exhibit- (2-3 points)
I attended the Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch exhibit in the Spelman Museum. The exhibit featured drawings and sculptures from Prophet’s collection that were recovered. It is meant to pay homage to Prophet’s unyielding will during her lifetime to create in the face of racism and sexism. Overall, I really liked the exhibit and found it very intriguing to see the range of her skill from sketches to full blown sculptures.
In particular, I really connected with her sculpture called “Congolais,” depicting a Maasai warrior carved from cherry wood. In African Diaspora and World, we talked about Africa's great period of strength and technological advancement called Antiquity. This sculpture reminded me of Antiquity and I believe Prophet was paying homage to that time period through this piece. She attended the Exposition Coloniale in France and saw a piece that inspired her to create Congolais. She wrote to Du Bois about the piece that inspired her, “heads that are of such a mental development that are rarely seen among Europeans. Heads of thought and reflection, types of great beauty and dignity of carriage… People are seeing the aristocracy of Africa.” Today, having a big head is something to be ashamed of, but before it was a sign of intelligence. Prophet created Conglais to be both a warrior and to have a big head to show that Africa has both intelligence and strength.
Being surrounded by Nancy Elizabeth Prophet’s works was truly inspiring to me considering her background. She was the first woman of color to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design and yet during her career she did not make much money. Although her works were valued, she was underpaid and came to the brink of starvation on multiple occasions; yet, she persevered and continued creating artworks. This idea expanding my thinking as I came to the realization that money is not everything. She pursued her passion which made her happy even without much money. It inspired me to pursue what I love even if there is not much money from it. It is important to pursue your passions because that is where intrinsic motivation spreads from. While I do enjoy providing healthcare justice and that will pay well, I also enjoy playing the flute which does not pay as well. Although I won’t get money from playing the flute, I will continue to play because it is something I am passionate about and it allows me to have an outlet for my emotions and feelings. It also challenges me to work past roadblocks when I am struggling with a piece.
The Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch exhibit was very impactful on my intellectual development.
In particular, I really connected with her sculpture called “Congolais,” depicting a Maasai warrior carved from cherry wood. In African Diaspora and World, we talked about Africa's great period of strength and technological advancement called Antiquity. This sculpture reminded me of Antiquity and I believe Prophet was paying homage to that time period through this piece. She attended the Exposition Coloniale in France and saw a piece that inspired her to create Congolais. She wrote to Du Bois about the piece that inspired her, “heads that are of such a mental development that are rarely seen among Europeans. Heads of thought and reflection, types of great beauty and dignity of carriage… People are seeing the aristocracy of Africa.” Today, having a big head is something to be ashamed of, but before it was a sign of intelligence. Prophet created Conglais to be both a warrior and to have a big head to show that Africa has both intelligence and strength.
Being surrounded by Nancy Elizabeth Prophet’s works was truly inspiring to me considering her background. She was the first woman of color to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design and yet during her career she did not make much money. Although her works were valued, she was underpaid and came to the brink of starvation on multiple occasions; yet, she persevered and continued creating artworks. This idea expanding my thinking as I came to the realization that money is not everything. She pursued her passion which made her happy even without much money. It inspired me to pursue what I love even if there is not much money from it. It is important to pursue your passions because that is where intrinsic motivation spreads from. While I do enjoy providing healthcare justice and that will pay well, I also enjoy playing the flute which does not pay as well. Although I won’t get money from playing the flute, I will continue to play because it is something I am passionate about and it allows me to have an outlet for my emotions and feelings. It also challenges me to work past roadblocks when I am struggling with a piece.
The Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch exhibit was very impactful on my intellectual development.
- Taylar Wharton
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