ANNIE MORAN
Coincoin
Coincoin
Annie
Moran
the artist's inspiration
How does the context we grow up in determine our lives? How can we create community, even in adversity? How does legacy flow and build across time?
These were some of the questions I thought about when reflecting on the theme Ripples Across Generations.
I offer CoinCoin as a way to pay tribute to my extraordinary ancestor, Marie Thérèze, called Coincoin, whose legacy has undoubtedly had influence on the context of my own life and the community in which I was raised– Cane River (Isle Breville).
At the center of Coincoin is Marie Thérèze herself, stretching her arms around the community that she built in a loving and protective embrace.
Born into slavery in 1742, she lived through the French, Spanish and American possession of Louisiana. While very young and enslaved to the children of her former master (Louis de St. Denis, commandant of the Natchitoches post), she bore five children, before she attracted the interest of a French bachelor – Claude Thomas Pierre Métoyer. Metoyer subsequently leased Marie Thérèze from her enslaver and they lived together for many years despite the efforts of the local priest, which led to brief separations,to keep them apart. The stories passed down through history tell us this was a genuine, mutual relationship. The laws of the time would not allow the two to marry, but they remained coupled for many years and had ten children together. Eventually Metoyer purchased Coincoin from her mistress and ultimately manumitted her and their children.
Before Métoyer married a white woman in 1778 he granted 68 acres of land to Coincoin and also promised to her a very modest lifetime stipend. Though the obstacles to her success as a free black woman of this period were immense, Coincoin went to work with determination, cultivating a rare, prosperous community of color. Working the land as well as practicing the pharmacology she had been taught as a child, she built her fortune through the production of tobacco, indigo and bear grease. Over time, she grew her land holding to more than 1,000 acres, which she worked alongside her workers. She used her money to buy the freedom of as many of her remaining children and grandchildren as she could (some of their owners refused to sell them), as well as other enslaved people.
Coincoin transformed the possibilities of Black success, moving beyond perseverance to prosperity, which was rare at the time. Her descendants built her estate into an agricultural empire that made them the wealthiest free family of color in the nation. They continue to nurture what is now known as the Cane River community. At its heart is St Augustine Catholic Church - built by her son Augustin - its importance to the community today extending far beyond its religious role.
Cane River is a close-knit community of people of color, with deeply-held traditions rooted in agriculture, catholicism and rural life. Its members now live across the world, but remain closely connected – bonded by this unique history and the legacy of its matriarch.
Coincoin’s vision and endeavor – as well as that of the community she brought together – made it possible for generations to transcend the confines of a racist system to prosper as planters, doctors, lawyers, politicians, civil rights activists, musicians, artists, dancers and more.
CAPITOL PARK, detroit
june 2024
As she has done through generations with her legacy, in Coincoin, Marie Thérèze embraces the land and people of the Cane River community. Her hands hold the enduring hub of the community: St. Augustine Catholic Church.
Inside her arms, you catch a glimpse of key components of the culture, community and traditions of the people of Cane River:
-
The tobacco, indigo, pecans and cotton that represent the town’s most profitable crops over the decades.
-
The bear, fish and rooster speak to generations of hunting, fishing and farming.
-
The quilt sparks memories of the artisanal craft I was taught as a child, which also offered a space for women to bond, collaborate and express themselves.
-
The meat pie is an icon of our annual church fair. Filled to the brim with flavor, people travel for miles and miles to buy them. (I remember making them as a child in an assembly line with my family and friends!).
-
The people– of so many shades of brown– represent many generations and a variety of complexions amongst community members.
Surrounding all of this are the flowing waters and lands of Cane River Lake, which represent the rebirth of new generations and the vitality of the lands. The community is inseparable from its environment, which has given it a powerful foundation to build and develop its enduring prosperity on. Our national conversation doesn’t often focus on rural Black life, but Black people have been farmers and cowboys since the time of enslavement.
My roots– the roots of the Cane River community– are deep and complex. Consider the contrast of Marie Thérèze’s enslavement to the empowerment her work and example have gifted generations. I reflect on the advantages my particular ancestry has afforded me considering the adverse conditions that are prominent for all people of color in our country throughout history.
Sometimes I wonder what my life would look like had I grown up somewhere else. It’s a thought experiment that shows you can’t escape the truth that your circumstances and ancestry have the power to shape your life. It doesn’t need to determine it, but it does shape it.
For some of the ways that it has shaped my life, I am grateful to have been born into the beautiful Cane River community birthed by the resilient, courageous, and visionary matriarch Marie Thérèze Coincoin.
Annie’s “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…”
When engaging with other people, consider the foundation that their life may have been built from. Our circumstances at birth and our surroundings are not in our control. They don’t have to determine our lives, but we have all been affected by all that we (and our forefathers) have experienced. Taking a moment and considering one another’s journeys creates a space for empathy and human connection that benefits all of us.
THEME
RIPPLES ACROSS GENERATIONS
Ripples Across Generations makes clear the direct consequences that enslavement and oppression has had on every generation of Americans, including the society we live in today.
THEME
Ripples across generations
Ripples Across Generations makes clear the direct consequences that enslavement and oppression has had on every generation of Americans, including the society we live in today.
the artist's inspiration
How does the context we grow up in determine our lives? How can we create community, even in adversity? How does legacy flow and build across time?
These were some of the questions I thought about when reflecting on the theme Ripples Across Generations.
I offer CoinCoin as a way to pay tribute to my extraordinary ancestor, Marie Thérèze, called Coincoin, whose legacy has undoubtedly had influence on the context of my own life and the community in which I was raised– Cane River (Isle Breville).
At the center of Coincoin is Marie Thérèze herself, stretching her arms around the community that she built in a loving and protective embrace.
Born into slavery in 1742, she lived through the French, Spanish and American possession of Louisiana. While very young and enslaved to the children of her former master (Louis de St. Denis, commandant of the Natchitoches post), she bore five children, before she attracted the interest of a French bachelor – Claude Thomas Pierre Métoyer. Metoyer subsequently leased Marie Thérèze from her enslaver and they lived together for many years despite the efforts of the local priest, which led to brief separations,to keep them apart. The stories passed down through history tell us this was a genuine, mutual relationship. The laws of the time would not allow the two to marry, but they remained coupled for many years and had ten children together. Eventually Metoyer purchased Coincoin from her mistress and ultimately manumitted her and their children.
Before Métoyer married a white woman in 1778 he granted 68 acres of land to Coincoin and also promised to her a very modest lifetime stipend. Though the obstacles to her success as a free black woman of this period were immense, Coincoin went to work with determination, cultivating a rare, prosperous community of color. Working the land as well as practicing the pharmacology she had been taught as a child, she built her fortune through the production of tobacco, indigo and bear grease. Over time, she grew her land holding to more than 1,000 acres, which she worked alongside her workers. She used her money to buy the freedom of as many of her remaining children and grandchildren as she could (some of their owners refused to sell them), as well as other enslaved people.
Coincoin transformed the possibilities of Black success, moving beyond perseverance to prosperity, which was rare at the time. Her descendants built her estate into an agricultural empire that made them the wealthiest free family of color in the nation. They continue to nurture what is now known as the Cane River community. At its heart is St Augustine Catholic Church - built by her son Augustin - its importance to the community today extending far beyond its religious role.
Cane River is a close-knit community of people of color, with deeply-held traditions rooted in agriculture, catholicism and rural life. Its members now live across the world, but remain closely connected – bonded by this unique history and the legacy of its matriarch.
Coincoin’s vision and endeavor – as well as that of the community she brought together – made it possible for generations to transcend the confines of a racist system to prosper as planters, doctors, lawyers, politicians, civil rights activists, musicians, artists, dancers and more.
ANNIE MORAN
Annie, a Louisiana native, celebrates her region's natural beauty and culture through paintings, murals, and other forms of visual art. Raised in Cane River, Louisiana, the abundance of natural surroundings inspired her as a child and continues to fuel her creativity. A deep love for nature is reflected in her works featuring birds and animals as symbols in compositions that reflect on the human experience. After earning her BFA from Louisiana State University, she spent 12 years working as a designer in New York City's fashion industry while also honing her craft as a painter. Returning to Louisiana to settle in New Orleans in 2014, she pursued an independent career as an artist. Moran's art, including interior murals and wallpaper designs, has garnered attention in publications like "Garden and Gun" and "Southern Home," appealing to collectors and design enthusiasts alike.
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
As she has done through generations with her legacy, in Coincoin, Marie Thérèze embraces the land and people of the Cane River community. Her hands hold the enduring hub of the community: St. Augustine Catholic Church.
Inside her arms, you catch a glimpse of key components of the culture, community and traditions of the people of Cane River:
-
The tobacco, indigo, pecans and cotton that represent the town’s most profitable crops over the decades.
-
The bear, fish and rooster speak to generations of hunting, fishing and farming.
-
The quilt sparks memories of the artisanal craft I was taught as a child, which also offered a space for women to bond, collaborate and express themselves.
-
The meat pie is an icon of our annual church fair. Filled to the brim with flavor, people travel for miles and miles to buy them. (I remember making them as a child in an assembly line with my family and friends!).
-
The people – of so many shades of brown – represent many generations and a variety of complexions amongst community members.
Surrounding all of this are the flowing waters and lands of Cane River Lake, which represent the rebirth of new generations and the vitality of the lands. The community is inseparable from its environment, which has given it a powerful foundation to build and develop its enduring prosperity on. Our national conversation doesn’t often focus on rural Black life, but Black people have been farmers and cowboys since the time of enslavement.
My roots– the roots of the Cane River community– are deep and complex. Consider the contrast of Marie Thérèze’s enslavement to the empowerment her work and example have gifted generations. I reflect on the advantages my particular ancestry has afforded me considering the adverse conditions that are prominent for all people of color in our country throughout history.
Sometimes I wonder what my life would look like had I grown up somewhere else. It’s a thought experiment that shows you can’t escape the truth that your circumstances and ancestry have the power to shape your life. It doesn’t need to determine it, but it does shape it.
For some of the ways that it has shaped my life, I am grateful to have been born into the beautiful Cane River community birthed by the resilient, courageous, and visionary matriarch Marie Thérèze Coincoin.
Annie’s “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…”
When engaging with other people, consider the foundation that their life may have been built from. Our circumstances at birth and our surroundings are not in our control. They don’t have to determine our lives, but we have all been affected by all that we (and our forefathers) have experienced. Taking a moment and considering one another’s journeys creates a space for empathy and human connection that benefits all of us.
explore the theme
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
ANNIE MORAN
Annie, a Louisiana native, celebrates her region's natural beauty and culture through paintings, murals, and other forms of visual art. Raised in Cane River, Louisiana, the abundance of natural surroundings inspired her as a child and continues to fuel her creativity. A deep love for nature is reflected in her works featuring birds and animals as symbols in compositions that reflect on the human experience. After earning her BFA from Louisiana State University, she spent 12 years working as a designer in New York City's fashion industry while also honing her craft as a painter. Returning to Louisiana to settle in New Orleans in 2014, she pursued an independent career as an artist. Moran's art, including interior murals and wallpaper designs, has garnered attention in publications like "Garden and Gun" and "Southern Home," appealing to collectors and design enthusiasts alike.
explore the theme
For everyone. For you. By all of us. Join us.
For everyone. For you.
By all of us. Join us.
PURPOSE
in our relationship with ourselves.
WORTHINESS
I am worthy of love dignity and respect.
AWARENESS
I know how I see the world and where it comes from.
BELIEF
I believe I have something valuable to offer.
PURPOSE
I know what inspires me and what I want to do.