Amanda Crowe

This 1978 photograph by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board shows Cherokee woodcarver Amanda Crowe. A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Crowe (1928-2004) is known for figurative wood sculptures; she was particularly known for her expressive bears. Her animal figures are highly stylized and smoothly carved. In this photograph, Crowe stands beside a rough carving of a standing bear. Born and raised in the Panther Town community on the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina, she started drawing and carving at the age of four. She later earned a scholarship to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received a Master of Fine Arts degree. She also studied at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. After twelve years away from home, Crowe returned to Cherokee to teach art and wood carving at Cherokee High School. She taught over 2,000 Cherokee students over the course of almost 40 years. In 2000, she was the recipient of a North Carolina Folk Heritage Award