Augusta Savage
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Augusta Savage (1892-1962) was an African American sculptor and arts educator who became a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Born Augusta Christine Fells in Green Cove Springs, Florida, she moved to New York in 1921 and studied at Cooper Union. Racial discrimination initially blocked her from a Paris scholarship, but the resulting publicity made her a cause célèbre.
Savage eventually studied in Paris (1929-31) and returned to open the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem, teaching a generation of Black artists including Jacob Lawrence and Norman Lewis. Her most famous work, The Harp (also called Lift Every Voice and Sing), was a 16-foot plaster sculpture for the 1939 World's Fair. It was destroyed after the fair because Savage couldn't afford to have it cast in bronze.
Sculptures by Augusta Savage
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About Augusta Savage
Savage was a key Harlem Renaissance sculptor and arts educator. Her 16-foot The Harp for the 1939 World's Fair was her most ambitious work. She also mentored a generation of Black artists including Jacob Lawrence.
Savage worked primarily in plaster and clay because she couldn't afford bronze casting. Many works, including the 16-foot The Harp, were destroyed because she lacked funds to preserve them. Only a handful of bronzes and photographs remain.
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