Inge Hardison (American, 1904-2016) , "Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)", 1965, bronzed plaster bust, signed and dated on truncation, h. 7 3/4 in . Provenance: Dorian Bennett, New Orleans; Private Collection. Note: Inge Hardison (née Ruth Inge) was a multi-talented artist whose self-expression took many forms, including dance, music, photography, poetry and visual arts. The granddaughter of slaves, Hardison was a native of Portsmouth, VA, and in order to escape the segregated south, her parents moved the family to Brooklyn then Plainfield, NJ. She began her career as an actress and singer earning roles on Broadway and often sculpting busts of the other actors. She took creative writing and music classes at Vassar College, studied at the Arts Student League of New York and was a founding member of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.In the early 1960s, Hardison undertook a series of busts of prominent African Americans in history, which she titled “Negro Giants in History.” This bust of civil rights activist, educator and philanthropist, Mary McLeod Bethune, was part of that series. Hardison’s aim was to make the works accessible to a wide audience as these giants of American history were often forgotten and underrepresented in historical canons. “By memorializing such great, selfless people, I have been able to put within the experience of many schoolchildren, college students and adults those much-needed models of inspiration, and many of those who read the biographies of these sculptured heroes are encouraged to try to make their own lives more meaningful.” Ref.: Roberts, Sam. “Inge Hardison, Actress and Sculptor of Heroes, Dies at 102.” The New York Times. Apr. 5, 2016. www.nytimes.com. Accessed Mar. 7, 2021; Kahn, Eve M. “A Sculptor of Black Heroes Leaves a Legacy.” The New York Times. May 26, 2016. www.nytimes.com. Accessed Mar. 7, 2021

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