Augusta Savage
“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.
”
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Augusta Savage was a sculptor who strove for equal rights for African-Americans in art. Her sculptures often depicted African-American children, leaders, and other figures. Her work regarded the black body as fine art. In 1937, she became the first director of the Harlem Community Art Center, which was established under the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP). Savage was commissioned to create a sculpture for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, where she created a 16-foot tall harp, formed by black singers, and inspired by the poem and song “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.
Augusta Savage was a sculptor who strove for equal rights for African-Americans in art. Her sculptures often depicted African-American children, leaders, and other figures. Her work regarded the black body as fine art. In 1937, she became the first director of the Harlem Community Art Center, which was established under the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP). Savage was commissioned to create a sculpture for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, where she created a 16-foot tall harp, formed by black singers, and inspired by the poem and song “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.
BORN
1892
1892
DESCENT
American/African American
DISCIPLINE
Artist / Activist / Educator