Black History Month: Augusta Savage

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Born Augusta Christine Fells in Green Cove Springs, Florida, on February 29, 1892, she was one of fourteen children. Augusta grew up in a poor family and didn’t have money to spend on toys. She would go play out back where she dug up the natural red clay from her yard and sculpted animals for her and her friends to play with. Even though her father didn’t approve of this hobby, Augusta didn’t give up. After winning a prize at the local fair for her art, she was inspired to keep going. 

When Florida lacked the patronage and community she needed to thrive, Augusta moved to New York City. During the mid-1920s when the Harlem Renaissance was at its peak Augusta made a name for herself. She was known for making sculptures of prominent figures and eventually opened the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts and became an influential teacher in Harlem. Augusta’s biggest commission was for the New York World’s Fair of 1939. The piece was titled Lift Every Voice and Sing,The Harp. “The sculpture depicted a group of twelve stylized black singers in graduated heights that symbolized the strings of the harp. The sounding board was formed by the hand and arm of God, and a kneeling man holding music represented the foot pedal.” - Smithsonian Art Institute. After the fair, the grounds were demolished along with her amazing sculpture. A symbol of the value of Black lives and Black art at the time. Even though she fought racism every day and still struggled financially, she never stopped fighting so that her students of color would be valued.