Virgil Ledford

Virgil Ledford

Artisans

Cherokee art

Cherokee Indians

Handicraft

Indigenous American wood-carving

Manners and customs

Wood-carvers

This undated photograph by an unknown photographer shows Cherokee woodcarver Virgil Ledford (b. 1940) from the Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary. Ledford began carving as a child while still in elementary school; his grandfather was also a carver. Later, he studied with famed sculptor Amanda Crowe. Throughout his life, Ledford carved detailed images of wildlife animals that are native to the region's eastern forests. In 1974, he was honored with a solo exhibition at Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual where he exhibited 21 pieces in cherry, buckeye, walnut, and mahogany. The exhibition was accompanied by a four-page brochure produced by Qualla Arts, the Indian Arts and Craft Board, and the North Carolina Arts Council.

Unknown

Photograph Collection

Hunter Library Digital Collections, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

jpg

photographs

StillImage

11037

https://southernappalachiandigitalcollections.org/object/11037

2010-05-28

All rights reserved. For permissions and use, contact Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc., Cherokee, NC 28719;

Qualla Boundary

Appalachian Region, Southern

10" x 8"(dimension)

Cherokee Traditions