Caribbean Women and Their Art: An Encyclopedia

The contributions of female writers, painters, and crafters of the Caribbean are overlooked in the history of artistic endeavors. Mary Ellen Snodgrass' Caribbean Women and Their Art: An Encyclopedia explores the rich history of womens creative expression by examining the crafts and skill of over 70 female originators in the West Indies. It highlights a wide variety of artistic accomplishments, including folk music, acting, dance, herbalism, food writing, sculpture, pottery, and adobe construction. Each entry includes a comprehensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources and further readings on the female artists and their respective crafts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The contributions of female writers, painters, and crafters of the Caribbean have been overlooked in the history of artistic endeavors. The creative works by women from the Caribbean prove to be as remarkable as the women themselves. In Caribbean Women and Their Art: An Encyclopedia, Mary Ellen Snodgrass explores the rich history of womens creative expression by examining the crafts and skill of over 70 female originators in the West Indies, from the familiar islands of Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, to the obscurity of Roatan, Curaçao, Guanaja, and Indian Key. Focusing particularly on artistic style during the arrival of Europeans among the West Indies, the importance of cultural exchange, and the preservation of history, this book captures a wide variety of artistic accomplishment, including folk music, acting, and dance herbalism and food writing sculpture, pottery, and adobe construction travel writing, translations, and storytelling. Individual talents highlighted in this volume include dancer Katherine Dunham, storyteller Louise Bennett-Coverley, paleontologist Sue Hendrickson, dramatist Maryse Condé, herbalist and memoirist Mary Jane Seacole, ballerina and choreographer Alicia Alonso, and author Elsie Clews Parsons. Each entry includes a comprehensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources, as well as further readings on the female artists and their respective crafts. This text also defines and provides examples of technical terms such as ramada, slip, hematite, patois, and mola. With its informative entries and extensive examinations of artistic talent, Caribbean Women and Their Art: An Encyclopedia is a valuable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in learning about some of the most influential and talented women in the arts.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538192153