Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone | Panel Discussions: Research, Materiality and the Archive

How do we reconstruct the history of an artist when the traditional archives are silent? How does the historical narrative come together to engage new audiences and give new insights into the work of artists from previous eras like Edmonia Lewis? In conjunction with the landmark exhibition “Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone,” the Georgia Museum of Art will present two panel discussions centering on the methodologies used to reconstruct the life and legacy of this artist whose personal and professional archive remains fragmentary. This program pulls back the curtain on the years of detective work, technical analysis and digital innovation that brought this exhibition to life. We will explore how 21st-century tools, technology and interdisciplinary research can illuminate Lewis’s 19th-century mastery of sculpture.

Panel 1: Navigating Archival Absence: Research, Recovery, and Curatorial Practice 1–2:15 p.m.

Curating a major retrospective for an artist as complex as Edmonia Lewis requires both scholarly rigor and a creative approach to historical absence. This roundtable addresses the practical and philosophical challenges of building an exhibition from a scattered record, exploring how curators reconcile missing details with material evidence. Panelists will share breakthroughs in archival recovery methods, use of contemporary artistic responses and perspectives on Lewis, as well as their unique outlook on future research.

Co-curators Shawnya Harris and Jeffrey Richmond-Moll will be joined by Melissa Ragain, associate professor of art history at Montana State University and contributor to the “Said in Stone” catalogue. Ragain recently curated “Chisel & Razor:The Artistic Legacies of Edmonia & Samuel Lewis,” a two-part exhibition at Tinworks Art and the Museum of the Rockies exploring the intersecting legacies of Edmonia Lewis and her brother Samuel, who lived in Bozeman, Montana.

Panel 2: Science of the Stone: 21st-Century Tools and 19th-Century Marble

2:30–3:45 p.m.

How do art historians use modern conservation methods and technology to unlock the secrets of 19th-century sculpture? This session explores the intersection of material science and art history. Objects conservator Amy Jones Abbe presents her technical study of Lewis’ sculptures based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem “The Song of Hiawatha” and the intensive conservation treatment of “Cupid Caught” in conversation with exhibition co-curator Jeffrey Richmond-Moll. They will explain how the various technologies used during the research for this exhibition shed new light on Lewis’s overarching artistic contribution and the physical nature of her sculpture.