Sister Gertrude Morgan: The Mystic of New Orleans - Book - Page 7
Introduction
T
his book tells the story of evangelist, artist, poet, and musician,
Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900–1980). Born in Alabama, Sister
Gertrude moved to New Orleans as a missionary in 1939. Years later, despite having no formal art training and little access to materials,
Sister Gertrude began illustrating Biblical scenes to augment her exuberant preaching in the streets of the French Quarter. Around 1960,
Larry Borenstein, a local art dealer who helped found Preservation Hall,
took notice of her talent and began selling Sister’s art in his gallery. Her
paintings caught the eye of collectors locally and nationally, and she was
featured in the 1973 issue of Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. More
recently, Sister Gertrude has become recognized as one of the foremost
African American folk or “outsider” artists of the 20th Century. Her
paintings were included in La Biennale di Venezia’s 2022 International
Art Exhibition, one of the most prestigious art events in the world.
Though she is now most famous for her unique and lively paintings, Sister Gertrude Morgan was first and foremost a devout evangelist
who preached, sang, and played several instruments to spread her message. She was on a mission to save souls! Sister’s highly creative art and
musical expression—the main tools of her ministry—together palpably
convey the ineffable power of her faith.
Written in the first person, most of the lines in this book are Sister’s
own words, drawn from interviews and her written correspondence. I
filled in the story with things I imagine she might have said and phrases
I hope would make her smile if she read them. I also lightly edited some
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