Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980) was a self-taught artist who started painting at 56. In under 20 years, she had completed an estimated 800 pieces and exhibited her work in galleries across the US.
Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980) was a self-taught artist who started painting at 56. In under 20 years, she had completed an estimated 800 pieces and exhibited her work in galleries across the US.
Special thanks to Mercedes-Benz, our exclusive sponsor this month! From their early days, Mercedes-Benz has built a legacy championing women to achieve the unexpected. Join us all month long as we celebrate women who have led dynamic lives that have shifted, evolved and bloomed, often later in life, eventually achieving the success for which they were destined from the start.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
This month, we’re highlighting women who’ve led dynamic lives. Ones that have shifted, evolved and bloomed, often later in life.
Today, we’re talking about a self-taught artist who started painting at 56. In under 20 years, she had completed an estimated 800 pieces and exhibited her work in galleries across the US. Let’s talk about Sister Gertrude Morgan.
Gertrude Morgan was born in Lafayette, Alabama in 1900. Growing up, she found inventive ways to be creative with what was available to her - like using a stick to sketch figures in the dirt outside her house.
Gertrude left school before completing third grade. As a teenager, her family moved to Columbus, Georgia, where she took a job as a servant in a private home.
In 1928, Gertrude married Will Morgan. Four years later, she experienced her first divine revelation. While sitting in her kitchen, she received a vision from God, telling her to start preaching. She later illustrated the experience in a work called A POEM OF MY CALLING. She wrote that God told her to “sing with a loud voice, for you are a chosen vessel to call men, women, girls, and boys.”
So in 1938, Gertrude left her husband and set off on her own to spread the gospel - a rare move for a Black, married woman at the time. A year later, she settled in New Orleans. She began standing on street corners in the French Quarter, preaching to anyone who walked past.
Gertrude found a community in the Holiness and Sanctified denomination - a religious group where members worshipped through song and dance.
Using the money that she made from street preaching, Gertrude and two other street preachers established a chapel and child-care facility in Gentilly. There, they fed and housed local orphans and kids of working mothers.
In the mid-1950s, twenty years into her preaching career, Gertrude heard another call from God - this time, telling her to paint. So Gertrude began painting, using whatever material was available - acrylics, wax crayons, ball point pens, scraps of wood, styrofoam, window shades and more.
In 1965, Gertrude received a message from God saying that she was the chosen bride of Christ. She began wearing an all-white starched dress, similar to a nurse's uniform, to symbolize her marriage to God. Many of her paintings were self-portraits - Gertrude in white, standing next to a depiction of Jesus. She signed her paintings under many monikers like Black Angel, Everlasting Gospel Revelation Preacher and Nurse to Doctor Jesus.
Gertrude’s paintings adorned the outside of her house which she called The Everlasting Gospel Mission. Inside the house, she held church services in a whitewashed room - preaching into a paper megaphone.
In the 1960s, Larry Borenstien - a New Orleans art dealer - saw one of Gertrude’s paintings. He recognized her talent, and began introducing her work to collectors. Soon, galleries across the country showcased her work. Famous artists like Andy Warhol and Lee Friedlander became fans.
Later in her career, Gertrude began painting many scenes from the Book of Revelations. Her work imagined the second coming of Christ and depicted a utopic New Jerusalem, filled with angels and people of every race.
Gertrude also dabbled in music. In 1971, Larry Borenstein recorded Gertrude singing her own gospel songs while playing her tambourine, and packaged the recordings into an album called, Let’s Make A Record.
But as her art reached more and more people, Gertrude grew wary of her fame. So Gertrude quit painting entirely. She turned her focus to preaching and writing poetry.
“I’m a missionary of Christ before I’m an artist.”, she said. “Give all that fame to some other artist.”
In 1980, Gertrude died in the Everlasting Gospel Mission.
All month, we’re highlighting dynamos. . For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
As always, we’re taking a break for the weekend. Talk to you on Monday!