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Augusta Savage: Artist Against Racism

Augusta Savage was a sculptor born in 1892 in Florida. She faced opposition from her father but pursued her passion for sculpture. She attended Cooper Union and became one of the first African American women to study sculpture. Throughout her career, Savage confronted racism but continued producing acclaimed works and fighting for equal rights. Her most famous sculpture, "Gamain," depicted African American beauty and revealed her talent. Savage opened a studio in Harlem to teach others and promote representation in art.

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73 views1 page

Augusta Savage: Artist Against Racism

Augusta Savage was a sculptor born in 1892 in Florida. She faced opposition from her father but pursued her passion for sculpture. She attended Cooper Union and became one of the first African American women to study sculpture. Throughout her career, Savage confronted racism but continued producing acclaimed works and fighting for equal rights. Her most famous sculpture, "Gamain," depicted African American beauty and revealed her talent. Savage opened a studio in Harlem to teach others and promote representation in art.

Uploaded by

cacahueterebelle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Augusta Savage

Hello everyone, I'm going to introduce you to an artist called Augusta Savage. I'll tell you about her
childhood, her career, her fight against racism and my choice.

her childhood

Augusta Sauvage was born Augusta Christine Fells in 1892 in Green Cove spring, Florida. she died in
1962. She spent her childhood in a large, poor family. Sculpture became her passion from an early
age. Augusta began making figurines, mainly animals, from the red clay of her hometown. Despite
her father's opposition, she persevered. In 1915, her move to West Palm Beach marked the
beginning of a commitment to teaching and creating works of art. Indeed, the principal of her new
high school supported her art and allowed her to give classes in clay modeling.

Her career and fight against racism

In 1921, she enrolled in a sculpture course at the Cooper Union, graduating in 3 years thanks to her
talent. After graduating, her sculptures earned her several commissions, including the bust of William
Pickens Sr. This bust was acclaimed for depicting an African-American in a more neutral and humane
way than the stereotypes. Throughout her career, she had to confront racism. In 1923, she was
selected to take part in a summer program at Fontainebleu, but was turned down because of her skin
color. She then began her first public fight for equal rights, writing a letter to the New York World.
She is supported by sculptor Hermon Atkins Macneil, who invites her to study with him. She went on
to win numerous awards. These included the Otto Kahn Prize in 1928 and two awards at the Paris
Salon in 1930. By this time, she had sculpted "Gamain", her most famous work. It depicts a boy from
the streets of Harlem, revealing African-American beauty. After studying at the Académie de la
Grande Chaumière in Paris, Savage returned to Harlem in 1932. In 1934, she became the first African-
American artist elected to the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors. She also
opened her studio to anyone wishing to paint, draw or sculpt.

Why did I choose it?

I chose Augusta Savage because her story is inspiring. I'm impressed by the fact that she remained
hopeful despite racism and the lack of support from her family. I also admire her because, through
her art, she has given visibility to her comrades in struggle and enabled people to be more open-
minded. What's more, I chose her because she's a woman and art is her passion, like me. I really like
her sculptures, especially this one.

I've prepared a quiz to see if you've been listening!

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