b. 1873 d. 1953
Site Affiliation: Pope’s Museum
Beginning in 1901, Laura Pope Forester advocated for including women’s accomplishments in the success story of America. Combining her property and her dreams to create an art environment that honored veterans and the achievements of women, she created 200 sculptures, and large paintings both inside and outside her home. Creating art from common objects such as sand from local creek, tractor parts and sewing machines, Mrs. Pope’s Museum and message attracted thousands of visitors from all 48 states and many nations during her lifetime. Her artwork and message have been featured by the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and ten Georgia governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 for art and women’s history.
Primary Medium: Mortar statuary and murals
Primary Stylistic Term:
Fun Fact: During her years as a widowed mother, Laura Pope Forester positioned a taxidermied rattlesnake at the foot of her bed, poised in the position to strike, to frighten those who thought her an easy prey.
Recommended Publications: Missing Pieces Georgia Folk Art 1770-1976, edited by Anna Wadsworth, 1976.