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Portrait of a Student, by Laura Wheeler Waring, c. 1930s. Image courtesy of Madeline Murphy Rabb
Welcome!
My name is Valerie Harris and I'm a writer and internationally recognized authority on the African American artist/illustrator Laura Wheeler Waring (1887-1948). Think you own a Waring? Perhaps I can help. Learn more on the Authentication Request Form. Contact me for additional information or to invite me to present for your art loving audience. I am always happy to share my knowledge about this important artist and her legacy.
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I created this site to share the remarkable story of Laura Wheeler Waring, who enjoyed an enviable artistic career during the first half of the 20th century, mingling with many cultural elites of her day. I believe her professional and personal choices will resonate with contemporary working women, who receive various opportunities as well as disappointments on their journey. You'll find plenty of engaging visuals here, too. Note: this site is best viewed on desktops/laptops rather than phones.
Waring deserves a published biography and I am the one to write it. I'll start with this biographical blog- the laurawheelerwaring.blog @ vharriswrites. You can access it here. Join the mailing list so you don't miss an episode. And I welcome your comments and questions about Waring's life and work.
This site also houses my other work. Under vharrisprojects you'll find articles for professionals working at nonprofit organizations and resources specifically designed to develop their expertise. My Life in Projects is a gallery of my past and ongoing creative projects--from plays, to magazine publishing, to a documentary film. I'm currently at work on a biography of Waring as well as a novel based on the artist and a number of her contemporaries active before, during, and beyond the Harlem Renaissance.
If you are a writer or reader of contemporary women's literature, historical fiction, or biography let's connect! See my socials below.