Elizabeth Nelson Adams

Elizabeth Nelson Adams
Dr. Elizabeth Nelson Adams
Born	Elizabeth Nicholson Nelson (1941-01-22)January 22, 1941 Columbia, South Carolina,U.S.
Died	March 2, 2020(2020-03-02)(aged 79) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	University of South Carolina
Occupation(s)	Artist, writer, arts commissioner, teacher
Spouse	Weston Adams ​ (m.1962)​
Children	Robert Adams, VI Weston Adams, III Daniel Wallace Adams-Riley Julian AdamsII
Parent(s)	Patrick Henry Nelson IIIand Elizabeth Juliet Nicholson Nelson
Relatives	Patrick Henry Nelson II(great grandfather) Patrick Henry Nelson(great-great grandfather) John Calhoun Sheppard(great grandfather) William Henry Wallace(great-great grandfather) Daniel Wallace(great-great-great grandfather) William McWillie(great-great-great grandfather) John Hunter (South Carolina politician)(5 greats grandfather)

Elizabeth Nelson Adams(January 22, 1941 – March 2, 2020) was an American visual artist, poet, writer, arts commissioner, and film casting director, born inColumbia, South Carolina.

Biography

Elizabeth Nelson Adams and Tippi Hedren in 2009 (in front of one of Adams's paintings) in Los Angeles, CA.

A recipient of a scholarship from TheNational Merit Scholarship Program,Adams went to TheUniversity of South Carolinawhere she earned her AB degree in 1961. She later earned her Masters in English (1987) and her PhD in creative writing (1989) from TheUniversity of South Carolina.She was married to AmbassadorWeston Adams (diplomat),and they have four children.

From 1995 to 2000, Adams served on the South Carolina Arts Commission.She served on the Board of Directors of TheSouth Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities.

Writer and artist

A prolific poet and writer, Adams is the author ofGathering the Rain(1990), andFive Malawian Writers: An Essay in Personal Exploration(1987). A successful painter, Adams had shows throughoutSouth Carolina,inLos Angeles,Palm Beach,Nantucket,andLilongwe, Malawi,Africa.In 2007 and 2009, she had art shows in Los Angeles to raise money forTippi Hedren’sShambala Preserve.Shambala is a nonprofit organization founded by Hedren in 1983, which cares for endangered exotic big cats such as African lions, Siberian tigers, Bengal tigers, leopards and other big cats.

Between 1984 and 1986, Adams spent her time painting and writing inMalawi,Africa. Her paintings captured the landscape and the people of the former British colony. During that period she wroteFive Malawian Writers: An Essay in Personal Exploration(1987). She studied the culture of Malawi, fromLilongwe,to the northernNyika Plateau,toLake Malawi,and to the southernZomba Plateau.Her extensive travels throughZambia,Zimbabwe,South Africa,and other African countries are reflected in her body of work.

Lithographybecame a passion of hers in the 1990s, which can be seen in her series of Italian lithographs. She traveled extensively throughItaly,fromTuscanytoLake Como,and captured the architecture, landscapes, and people of the country in her paintings, lithographs, sculpture, and poetry.

Adams's art has also been shown at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, part of TheSpoleto Festival USAinCharleston, South Carolina.Adams's poetry has been published in numerous poetry books and reviews across the United States, includingFrom The Green Horseshoe(1987) and others.

Film work

Adams was instrumental in the development and production of the feature filmThe Last Confederate: The Story of Robert AdamsfromSolar FilmworksandThinkFilm(2007). With her knowledge of the history and nuances of southern culture, Adams impacted the telling of the story in the script phase, the casting, and the production design of the film. She was the casting director for the movie, bringing in such talent asTippi Hedren,who playedGrandmother Adamsin the film andEdwin McCain,who playedBelcherin the film. Adams also acted in the role ofMadame Bonneau.