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Biographical Details

Artwork In 1956, Sister Gertrude Morgan received another revelation from God. This time, he had called on her to make paintings. Her paintings served as visual aids in her sermons. She depicted religious subject matter

Similar to other self-taught artists, she used simple forms to depict the human figure. Her works are characterized by their lack of the use of formal techniques such as perspective, giving them a flat, two dimensional quality. She painted and drew using acrylics, tempera, ballpoint pen, watercolors, crayon, colored and lead pencil and felt tip markers. Sister Morgan used inexpensive materials she had at hand, painting on paper, toilet rolls, plastic pitchers, paper megaphones, scrap wood, lampshades, paper fans and styrofoam trays. This choice of materials as well as her style and subject matter are characteristics often associated with artists who are described as naive, folk, visionary, vernacular and outsider artists. Originally conceiving her artworks as appendages to her gospel teachings, Sister Morgan's paintings are often inscribed with passages from scripture and lyrics to popular gospel songs. It is thought that her recurring motif of Jesus in an airplane is a reference to the gospel song "Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me", a hymn first published in 1871 by Edward Hopper. Recurring imagery in her work are the choir of angels, farm animals, herself as the Bride of Christ and Jesus himself. The choir of angels often decorate the border of paintings, She signed her paintings with many names, among them Black Angel, Lamb Bride, Nurse to Doctor Jesus, Everlasting Gospel Revelation Preacher, Bride of Christ and Little Ethiopia Girl.

Music

Art Career In 19 From 1980? Sister Morgan entered into what would be a long-term correspondence with Regeina Perry, and whose letters are frequently cited in the Tools of Her Ministry exhibition catalogue. Perry, a ?? based in Virginia,

The Call to Religion

Early Involvement in the Church

Sister Morgan's first documented involvement with religion came in her late teens, when she joined the Rose Hill Memorial Baptist Church, a local congregation in Columbus, Georgia.[6] (The shifts in church leadership, after the death of Reverend Miller in 1930, and the splintering of the congregation are subjects that are narrated in several of her paintings, done later in her life, among them THE ROSE HILL MEMORiAL BAPTiST CHURCH, Columbus Ga. (n.d.)

Revelations from God

The first of many revelations that Gertrude was to experience came in 1934. The story of this revelation is inscribed on one of her paintings, 1324 NO AVE COLUMBUS GA. (n.d.). On it she has written, "Sitting in my Kitchen one night I heard a great strong Voice speak to me said I'll make thee as a signet for I have chosen thee I got this calling on the 30th day of Dec in 1934 I had to answere to my calling and one day give up and Pack up and go … a chosed vessel of God's its wonderful to Be. God called me a chased me and turned me into the hands of his son and JESUS said take up your cross and follow me."

In 1938 a second revelation followed, in the form of a voice that said, "Go-o-o-o-o, Preacher, tell it to the World". It was in this year that she left Columbus, first for Opelika, Alabamba, then to Mobile and possibly Montgomery. She worked as a nursemaid and nanny in Opelika and Mobile, and possibly began work as a healer and street prophet during this time.p7

Arrival in New Orleans

When she arrived in New Orleans in 1939 {footnote 5}, Sister Gertrude met Mother Margaret Parker and Sister Cora Williams. The two women were involved in the Holiness and Sanctified movement, an African American faith in which the activities of music, song and dance were central. The three women soon established a mission and orphanage at Mother Parker's 18 room house at 533 Flake Avenue in Lower Gentilly, then on the outskirts of New Orleans. The orphanage was funded by money raised from preaching and performing in the streets. [footnote book 8}

The three women adopted black robes, and gave shelter to as many as 20 orphans and runaways at a time. (In Sister Gertrude's paintings, the three women are pictured in their black robes, adorned with white collars, cuffs and waist ties). As Gentilly was a fairly rural area at this time, they also raised livestock and grew vegetables on the land surrounding the large house. They held neighborhood feasts at the Orphanage, where the 'Prophetesses' (as Sister Morgan would later call them in her paintings) would play the piano, drums, cymbals and beat tambourines. {p 9}In addition to street preaching, the three women visited Orleans Parish Prison, providing spiritual guidance for inmates, as well as traveling to other towns in Louisiana and Texas for church camps and meetings. Sister Morgan worked at the orphanage until 1957. [ fn page 9]

Everlasting Gospel Mission

After leaving Gentilly, Sister Morgan lived in various houses, mostly in the Lower Ninth Ward, an historically African American neighborhood. Eventually she settled at 5444 North Dorgenois street in the Lower Ninth ward, in a single shotgun house with the owner of the property, Jennie Johnson. fn p 13. The lawn of the property was allegedly covered in four leafed clovers, a details that can be glimpsed in black and white photographs of the property. 76 She named it the Everlasting Gospel Mission, and turned the first room of the house into a prayer room where she would give sermons. Her paintings adorned the white walls of the prayer room, which also contained a small desk, a tapping stick, musical instruments and her painted paper megaphones she would use to preach.

She believed God told her to begin painting in 1956, and in 1957 thought she heard a voice telling her that she was the Bride of Christ. Thus she adopted a white habit and moved out of the orphanage to establish "The Everlasting Gospel Mission", housed in a single shotgun house at 5444 North Dorgenois street in the Lower Ninth ward.[7] Around 1960, art dealer Larry Borenstein invited her to set up a performance and showing in his art gallery after coming upon her shouting on a street corner with a paper megaphone.[8]

Death On July 8, 1980, Sister Morgan died in her sleep at her home. Her funeral arrangements were made by Larry Borenstein and a service was held at the well-to-do House of Bultman, on St. Charles Avenue. Her art was displayed at the service, and Let's Make a Record played.