Dorothy Downs

My mission is to express the beauty of cultural diversity through art as a writer and artist. It is as if this was chosen for me and I just follow the path. A native Miamian, I have beautiful subjects to write about: Florida Everglades, Miccosukee and Seminole Indians, their art and cultures, and the women, who sew eye-dazzling patchwork designs and clothing. I have spent many hours over the years, sitting in their sewing chickees, sharing stories, and watching them work. I appreciate their generous time. My most recent book, which I illustrated, is Canoe Back in Time, Miccosukee life in the Everglades in the early 1920s.

I also am interested in the art of all other Native Americans, as well as worldwide tribal arts. At the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, I have curated many exhibitions and written the catalogs. A founder of the Tribal Arts Society at the museum, the Society presented a twenty-five- year series of lectures on a variety of indigenous people and their art.

I graduated from Emory University, BA, 1959, and the University of Miami, MA in art history, 1976.