Nellie Mae Rowe, who lived from 1900 until 1982, was a prolific self-taught artist from Georgia. Her work, which encompasses paintings, drawings, collages, hand-made dolls, and sculptures, is featured in NYC’s American Folk Art Museum, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and countless other collections.

Rowe incorporated “found” materials into her creations, and thematic concerns include African-American folklore, race, gender, domestic life, and spirituality. Rowe is recognized as one of the most important folk artists in the world.

Nellie Mae Rowe in New Georgia Encyclopedia