Born in 1915 in the nation's capital, Elizabeth Catlett was an astounding sculptor, and print maker. She studied design and printmaking at Howard University and changed to study sculpting when there was no sculpture division at Howard. She pushed boundaries becoming the first African American to get her Master of Fine Arts in sculpture at the University of Iowa. She mostly created pieces that depicted what she saw, images of her people, specifically black women . Her piece, Mother and Child, sculpted in limestone won first prize at the American Negro Exposition in 1940. She is the mother of America's Next Top Model Cycle 4 winner Naima. She studied wood carving in Mexico and used her art along with other artists to promote social change there. She received numerous awards and many of the outdoor sculptures she created are are displayed in Mexico; in Jackson, Mississippi; New Orleans, LA; and, Washington, D.C.
