Helen LaFrance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen LaFrance
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| Born | November 2, 1919 |
| Died | November 20, 2020 (aged 101) Mayfield, Graves County, Kentucky
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| Movement | outsider art, memory painting Black art women artists |
Helen LaFrance (born November 2, 1919 – died November 20, 2020) was a talented Black American artist. She was born in Graves County, Kentucky. Helen taught herself how to paint and create art.
She is known as an "outsider artist" because she didn't go to art school. She also created "memory paintings." These paintings showed scenes from her own memories of life in the rural South. Her art captured a way of life that was slowly disappearing. Helen also painted powerful religious scenes from the Bible. People sometimes called her "the Black Grandma Moses." This was because her art was similar to famous memory painters like Horace Pippin and Grandma Moses.
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Helen's Early Life
Helen LaFrance grew up in a loving family. This was during a time when Jim Crow laws were in place. These laws made life unfair for African Americans in the United States. They caused segregation and limited opportunities.
Her father owned his own farm. He grew crops like tobacco, corn, and peas. This was special because many farmers at the time were sharecropping. Sharecropping meant they rented land and paid with a share of their crops.
Helen's parents taught her at home. After finishing her chores, she loved to draw and carve. Her family always encouraged her artistic side. Her mother told her to "paint what you know." This advice stayed with Helen throughout her life.
She went to school for a short time in fifth grade. But she later left to help on the family farm. After her mother passed away, Helen took on different jobs. She worked in a hospital, cared for children, and cooked. She also worked in tobacco barns and a factory. In the factory, she decorated whiskey bottles.
When she was in her 40s, Helen saved enough money to buy art supplies. She bought them from the grocery store. In 1986, she started painting full-time.
Her Amazing Art
Helen LaFrance was skilled in many types of art. She made beautiful quilts and carved animals from wood. She also created dolls with handmade clothes. But her "memory paintings" are what she is most famous for.
What are Memory Paintings?
Memory paintings are like visual stories from an artist's past. Helen used oil paints on canvas to share her memories. Her paintings showed family traditions and church gatherings. They also showed everyday life in the South. You could see scenes of hunting, fishing, and planting cotton. She painted general stores, barn dances, and circuses. Her art also showed fish fries, family reunions, and church picnics. These were all places where the community came together.
Helen lived through many important historical events. She saw the Great Depression and the Vietnam War. She also lived through the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act helped end segregation. She also saw the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This act protected voting rights for all. Her art combined her personal experiences with her amazing talent. This made Helen LaFrance a very important American artist.
Where You Can See Her Art
Helen LaFrance's artwork is in many important collections. You can find her art in public museums and private homes. Famous people like Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King own her paintings.
Her art has been shown in many places. These include county fairs and local banks. It has also been displayed at Murray State University. The Kentucky Museum and the Saint Louis Art Museum have her work. The Speed Art Museum and the Kentucky Folk Art Center also own her art.
One of her paintings is in a collection in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It shows workers rolling tobacco. This painting was bought after someone visited the Kentucky tobacco barn where Helen once worked.
Helen LaFrance was featured in a TV program by Kentucky Educational Television. She also appeared in other documentaries. In 2011, she received the prestigious Folk Heritage Award. This was one of the Governor's Awards in the Arts. Her life and art are also featured in books and films. One award-winning film about her life is called "Helen LaFrance: Memories."
Later Years and Legacy
In her later years, Helen LaFrance lived in a nursing home in Kentucky. She continued to paint every day. She once said, "When I'm not eating or sleeping, I'm painting."
In 2019, she celebrated her 100th birthday. Family and friends came from far away to celebrate with her. They attended church and watched a documentary about her life. Helen LaFrance passed away peacefully in November 2020. She was 101 years old.
