Born
February 29, 1892
Died
March 1962
Country
United States of America
Determined from childhood to become a sculptor, Augusta Savage moved to New York City in the early 1920s to study at Cooper Union’s School of Art. Her talent as an artist blossomed while at school and she received a commission to fashion a portrait bust of scholar W. E. B. Du Bois. She would sculpt likenesses of many other African American leaders, among them Black nationalist and entrepreneur Marcus Garvey.
In 1924, Savage sculpted a plaster bust of her nephew, Ellis Ford, that is widely regarded as her finest work (below). The bust, entitled Gamin (French for "street urchin"), won Savage a Julius Rosenwald Fellowship—and with it a year’s study in Paris.
Augusta Savage, Gamin, ca. 1929, painted plaster, 9 x 5 3⁄4 x 4 3⁄8 in. (22.9 x 14.7 x 11.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Benjamin and Olya Margolin, 1988.57
Upon her return to Harlem, Savage began teaching aspiring artists. In 1932, she established the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts, an arts-education center for adults. She later became the first director of Harlem’s Community Arts Center. Funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the center invited African Americans to learn about their culture through the study of fine arts.
In 1939, Savage was commissioned to create a sculpture for the New York World’s Fair. Titled The Harp, the work was strongly influenced by James Weldon Johnson’s 1900 song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Always intensely involved in the Harlem arts community, Savage was a longtime member of the “306 Group”—so named for the art studio at 306 West 141st Street, where Savage exchanged techniques and ideas with Black artists such as Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Morgan and Marvin Smith.
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Savage created a sculpture of W. E. B. Du Bois. |
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The James W. Johnson song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” inspired her sculpture, The Harp. |
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Like composer William G. Still, she produced work for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. |
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She received an award from the Harmon Foundation in 1933. |
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Both Savage and Palmer Hayden studied at Cooper Union art college in New York. |
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Augusta Savage in her studio with The Harp; based on “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson.
Video Bio
Fasten your smock, get out your art supplies, and prepare to get your hands dirty. Examine the physics behind Alexander Calder鈥檚 mobiles, the symbolism in the botany rendered in renaissance paintings, and the careful patience used in weaving a wampum belt in this exploration of a wide range of arts.
What makes a great portrait in the digital鈥攐r any鈥攁ge? By looking at the works of Richard Avedon and Andy Warhol we learn that it's not enough to create just another pretty face.
Can you hear that red-hot trumpet? How about the full, rich tones in the vocals of Bessie Smith? Romare Bearden makes music with his art. Learn how to 鈥渉ear鈥 a painting.
Audio, video, animation, photography, and technology. From Depression-era images that captured the attention of a nation, to student-produced videos on local artists, to how to make your own blood and guts special effects, explore the ever-changing world of media arts.
Sculptor
Selma Burke
Eric Friedman
Director, Digital Learning
Kenny Neal
Manager, Digital Education Resources
Tiffany A. Bryant
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
JoDee Scissors
Content Specialist, Digital Learning
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