Queena Stovall (1887-1980)

Emma Serena Dillard “Queena” Stovall, artist, was born outside Lynchburg and for 35 years lived near here on a farm called the Wigwam. A mother of nine, she took her first painting class at the age of 61. Her instructor, the acclaimed artist Pierre Daura, recognized her distinctive talent and refused to offer guidance for fear of changing her style. Stovall's folk art paintings document rural life in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, depicting family scenes, farm chores, and community events involving African American and white neighbors. Her works have been displayed in galleries, museums, and traveling exhibitions across the eastern United States.