Elma Ina Lewis (September 15, 1921 – January 1, 2004) was an American arts educator and the founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. She was one of the first recipients of a MacArthur Fellows Grant, in 1981, and received a Presidential Medal for the Arts by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. She is also an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.Historical Note
" ''Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids: Elma Ina Lewis Papers.'' Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections. Web. Accessed 21 May 2014.

Early life and education

Lewis was born September 15, 1921, in Boston to parents Clairmont and Edwardine Lewis who had immigrated from Barbados.Elma Lewis - Black Women's Heritage Trail
/ref> Lewis had two older brothers, Darnley and George from her mother's previous marriage. She attended the Ruggles Street Nursery School in 1924 where she was told her IQ was higher than it would be when she grew older. That memory stayed with her and would eventually prompt her to start her own school later on. Her parents were followers of

Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...

to whose ideas she attributes her racial pride and desire to promote African culture. Lewis attended Roxbury Memorial High School for Girls where she studied voice, piano, and dance.Marcus, Jon
“At 75, Activist Reflects on Life's Work Promoting Black Culture.”
Los Angeles Sentinel, 14 Aug. 1997, p. A16. Oct 26 2017. Subscription required. She worked her way through college by acting in local theatre productions and graduated from Emerson College (B.L.I., 1943), and Boston University School of Education (M.Ed., 1944). After graduating from Boston University, Lewis taught speech therapy at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, the New England Hospital, and the Habit Clinic of Boston. She also taught dance and drama at the Cambridge Community Center and fine arts at the Harriet Tubman House. At age 23, Lewis and her parents moved from Dudley street in Roxbury to a house on Homestead street where she lived until her death. In 1951 Lewis's mother, Edwardine died. Her brother Darnley then moved into the downstairs section of the house with his wife and kids.

Arts education

The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts (ELSFA)

In 1950 Lewis founded The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts to provide arts education for the African-American community in Boston with a comprehensive program across the visual and performing arts. The teaching program at the school was focused on building character and multidisciplinary arts instruction through performance and exhibitions. Her school attracted many top professionals in the fine arts resulting in a very rigorous program. At its peak, the school enrolled 700 students and employed 100 teachers. Many of the school's graduates went on to a successful career in entertainment. Many attribute the notoriety of Lewis's school to the political culture of the time. Boston experienced a desegregation crisis in the mid 1970s after court-ordered desegregation of schools. Due to financial problems, enrollment in the school begin to dwindle.Kahn, Joseph P
"ARTS LEADER ELMA LEWIS DEAD AT 82 LONG A CHAMPION OF BLACK CULTURE."
''Boston Globe.'' Jan 02 2004. Accessed Oct 26 2017. Subscription required. After years of battling financial crisis, and owing back taxes the school's site was foreclosed on in 1997.

National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA)

Lewis founded the National Center of Afro-American Artists which served as an umbrella organization for the school, local arts groups, and a museum. The site which overlooked Franklin Park, was previously the Temple Mishkan Tefila and adjoining school. It was turned over to Lewis' organized by Jewish Philanthropists as part of the process of Jews leaving the city of Boston. Before acquiring this site, the school had passed through multiple locations which caused financial problems. By the 1980s, the center was in debt up to $720,000. The annual production of Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity became a staple of the organization and was directed every year by Lewis herself.

Technical Theatre Program

Lewis developed the Technical Theatre Program at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute. The 750 inmates at the Norfolk Prison who were enrolled in the program put on performances and learned skills such as musical composition. In 1972 the book “Black Voices from Norfolk Prison” describing their experiences was published with a foreword by Lewis.

Later life

Awards and affiliations

Lewis was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1977. She was involved in promoting African American culture through art forms. She served as a board member for various organizations, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,

Congressional Black Caucus The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...

, Metropolitan Cultural Alliance, and NAACP Lewis also received the Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts’ highest award in the arts, and myriad other honors including nearly thirty honorary doctorates from various universities. In October 2003, the National Visionary Leadership Project in ceremonies at Washington's J. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, named Miss Lewis, along with Ray Charles and John Hope Franklin, as a Visionary Elder." She is commemorated on the

Boston Women's Heritage Trail The Boston Women's Heritage Trail is a series of walking tours in Boston, Massachusetts, leading past sites important to Boston women's history. The tours wind through several neighborhoods, including the Back Bay and Beacon Hill, commemorating w ...

. Lewis received a $350,000 grant from the Rockefeller foundation to update the school and pay the salaries of the school's staff. In 1981, Lewis was awarded the genius grant by the John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation. This grant was part of a five-year program where 21 MacArthur Prize Fellows would be awarded a yearly sum for their achievements in creativity.MacArthur Fellows Grant
Abdul, Raoul. "Elma Lewis: Recipient of $54,000 'Genius' Grant." New York Amsterdam News (1962-1993): 30. Jun 20 1981. Web. 30 Oct. 2017 Subscription required. In 1983 she received the Presidential Medal for Arts from President Reagan. In 1986 Lewis received the Monarch Award from the National Council for Culture and Art. Each year the Council awarded two individuals for live achievements in the performing and visual arts.NCCA Award
"NCCA Salutes Simon Estes, Elma Lewis." New York Amsterdam News (1962-1993): 30. Sep 13 1986. Web. 30 Oct. 2017 . Subscription required.

Community Involvement

Lewis became known as the Grande Dame of Arts in Roxbury due to her school, achievements in performing arts, and her community involvement. Lewis often traveled around the world to speak at conferences and inform on the state of African-American culture as well as her experiences in running the NCAAA. In 1980, Lewis was diagnosed with diabetes. She continued to spearhead cultural programs throughout Boston. She started the Elma Lewis Playhouse in Franklin Park during the summer months which boasted artists such as Duke Ellington and

Arthur Fiedler Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 – July 10, 1979) was an American conductor known for his association with both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one ...

. She further launched a clean-up campaign remove debris and drug paraphernalia from Franklin Park. The Elma Lewis Playhouse was renamed the Elma Lewis Theater at Franklin Park in 2003. In September 1996, Roxbury hosted a salute to the “Grande Dame,” which was a three day birthday celebration of Lewis's achievements and life. It included events at many venues around the city and attracted prominent members of society including poet Maya Angelou and the UN Ambassador. Lewis was beginning to suffer from severe complications of diabetes. For her 76th birthday, she collected papers, photographs, musical notes, and other memorabilia to give to Northeastern University for a living archive.

Death

On January 1, 2004, Elma Lewis died at the age of 82 in her Boston home from pulmonary complications stemming from diabetes.

References

External links

*Th
Elma Lewis records
are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. *Th

are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. *Th

are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. *Th

are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. *Th

are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Elma 1921 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American educators Boston University School of Education alumni Emerson College alumni Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences MacArthur Fellows People from Boston United States National Medal of Arts recipients Museum founders 20th-century American women educators 20th-century philanthropists 20th-century African-American educators 21st-century African-American people