The first major retrospective devoted solely to Edmonia Lewis's work opens at the Peabody Essex Museum on February 14, 2026.
On February 14, 2026, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts opened Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone, billed as the first-ever major museum retrospective devoted exclusively to the life and work of sculptor Edmonia Lewis. The exhibition brings together an unprecedented gathering of her surviving marble sculptures, drawings, and archival materials from institutions across the United States and Europe, offering the public a comprehensive look at the full scope of her artistic career.
The retrospective represents a landmark moment in the ongoing reassessment and celebration of Lewis's legacy as the first sculptor of African American and Native American descent to achieve international acclaim in the fine arts. For much of the twentieth century, Lewis's work was scattered, under-documented, or misattributed, and her name was largely absent from mainstream art historical narratives despite her groundbreaking achievements in the 1860s and 1870s.
By assembling her major works—including pieces such as Forever Free, The Death of Cleopatra, and Hagar—alongside newly researched biographical context (including the 2010 discovery of her death record), the exhibition situates Lewis firmly within the canon of significant 19th-century American sculptors. The show is planned to travel to additional venues after its debut in Salem, further expanding public and scholarly engagement with her pioneering contributions to American art history.