Exploring The Life And Legacy Of Augusta Savage: A Trailblazer In Art

When we think about the Harlem Renaissance, one name often stands out among the rest: Augusta Savage. This remarkable artist not only shaped the art world through her incredible sculptures but also paved the way for future generations of Black artists. Her story is one of resilience, talent, and passion that resonates with many today.

Who Was Augusta Savage?

Born in Florida in 1892, Augusta Savage began creating art as a child by using the natural clay found in her hometown. After attending Cooper Union in New York City, she made a name for herself as a sculptor during the Harlem Renaissance and was awarded fellowships to study abroad. Savage later served as a director for the Harlem Community Center and created the monumental work The Harp for the 1939 New York World's Fair. She spent most of her later years in Saugerties, New York, before her death from cancer in 1962.

Early Life

Savage was born Augusta Christine Fells on February 29, 1892, in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Part of a large family, she began making art as a child, using the natural clay found in her area. Skipping school at times, she enjoyed sculpting animals and other small figures. However, her father, a Methodist minister, didn’t approve of this activity and actively tried to discourage her. Savage once said that her father “almost whipped all the art out of me.”

Despite her father's objections, Savage continued to make sculptures. When the family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1915, she faced a new challenge: a lack of clay. Eventually, she got some materials from a local potter and created a group of figures that she entered in a local county fair, winning a prize and gaining the support of the fair's superintendent, George Graham Currie. He encouraged her to pursue art despite the rampant racism of the day.

Trailblazing Career in Art

After a failed attempt to establish herself as a sculptor in Jacksonville, Florida, Savage moved to New York City in the early 1920s. Although she struggled financially throughout her life, she was admitted to study art at Cooper Union, which did not charge tuition. Before long, the school offered her a scholarship to help with living expenses, and she excelled, finishing her coursework in three years instead of the usual four.

While at Cooper Union, Savage experienced a pivotal moment when she applied to a summer program to study art in France but was rejected due to her race. Taking this rejection as a call to action, she sent letters to local media about the discriminatory practices of the selection committee. Her story garnered significant media attention. Although it didn’t change the committee's decision, one member, Herman MacNeil, invited her to hone her craft at his Long Island studio.

Savage soon gained recognition as a portrait sculptor, creating busts of notable African Americans like W.E.B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey. She became one of the leading artists of the Harlem Renaissance, a significant African American literary and artistic movement of the 1920s and '30s.

World's Fair Commission

In 1939, Savage was commissioned to create a sculpture for the New York World's Fair. Inspired by the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson, she created The Harp. This towering 16-foot sculpture reinterpreted the harp, featuring 12 singing African American youths as its strings, with the harp’s sounding board transformed into an arm and hand. A kneeling young man at the front offered music in his hands. Although considered one of her major works, The Harp was destroyed at the end of the fair.

After losing her position at the Harlem Community Center while working on The Harp, Savage sought to establish other art centers in the area. One notable work from this period was The Pugilist (1942), depicting a confident figure ready to face challenges. Despite her efforts, she struggled to reestablish herself and moved to a farm in Saugerties, New York, in 1945.

Later Years, Death and Legacy

Augusta Savage spent her later years in the tranquility of small-town life, teaching children in summer camps, dabbling in writing, and continuing her art as a hobby. She was married three times: first to John T. Moore in 1907, with whom she had her only child, Irene; next to carpenter James Savage, a union that ended in divorce; and finally to Robert Lincoln Poston, an associate of Marcus Garvey, but she was widowed a year later. When Savage fell ill in her later years, she moved back to New York City to be with her daughter and family.

On March 26, 1962, Augusta Savage died of cancer in New York City. Although she was largely forgotten at the time of her death, her legacy as a great artist, activist, and arts educator lives on, inspiring countless individuals whom she taught and encouraged.

Quick Facts

• Name: Augusta Savage
• Birth Year: 1892
• Birth Date: February 29, 1892
• Birth State: Florida
• Birth City: Green Cove Springs
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Leading artist of the Harlem Renaissance and influential activist.
• Industries: Education and Academia, Art
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Schools: Cooper Union
• Death Year: 1962
• Death Date: March 26, 1962
• Death State: New York
• Death City: New York
• Death Country: United States

Augusta Savage's incredible journey from a young girl molding clay in Florida to a pioneering artist of the Harlem Renaissance is not just an inspiring tale of talent and perseverance; it is a reminder of the importance of representation in the arts. Through her work, Savage opened doors for future generations, proving that passion and determination can break barriers and create lasting impact.