When I think of sculptors who have the ability to capture pure emotion in the expressions and poses of their subjects, my mind goes to Auguste Rodin or Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene. I was recently introduced to the work of Augusta Savage, a black American artist the first half of the 20th century, who will now join Rodin when I think of emotional and expressive portrait sculptures. Marvel at her incredible work below and share it with your children and students with these activity ideas and discussion questions.
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About Augusta Savage
Considered a leading artist of the Harlem Renaissance, Augusta Savage (1892-1962) was an African-American sculptor, arts educator, and activist. She grew up in Florida and attended Cooper Union in New York City. After initially denied entry into a study abroad program because of her race, she eventually won fellowships to study in Paris and exhibit at the Grand Palais because of her vitality of her classical sculpture work.
Though commissioned by notables of the day including W.E.B. DuBois, she began teaching to support herself, starting her own art school, Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts, in New York City. She was a founding director of the Harlem Community Art Center through the WPA program, where she devotedly mentored many African-American artists, including Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence.
Remarkably, we can see Augusta Savage at work in a silent documentary made in 1936; titled “A Study of Negro Artists,” the intriguing film provides a striking glimpse into this era:
Augusta Savage’s Portrait Sculpture
Augusta Savage, Gamin, 1929
Gamin, a portrait bust of a homeless boy or perhaps Augusta Savage’s nephew, was Augusta Savage’s first successful artwork. She won an award for the work which gave her a scholarship to travel to Europe. Gamin is French for “street urchin.”
Augusta Savage’s The Harp (Lift Every Voice and Sing)
One of Augusta Savage’s most stunning artworks is The Harp which she created for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. The sculpture was inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s 1900 poem-turned-song Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Augusta Savage, The Harp, 1939
The Harp includes 12 singers who form the strings of the harp. The hand of God acts as the sound board of the harp and holds up the singers while a kneeling man acts as the foot pedal.
The sculpture was unfortunately destroyed at the end of the fair and only photos and a small model remain.
Ways to Experience this Artwork
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- Discuss this artwork with your students using the following questions as a guide. Don’t tell the students the title or give any information until they have discussed the artwork and thought about it for themselves.
- What’s going on here?
- What does this remind you of?
- What symbolism can you find in this sculpture?
- How does this sculpture make you feel? How do you think this artist felt about this sculpture?
- Have you students listen to, read, and interpret the lyrics of Lift Every Voice and Sing, and then ask them to find the lines of the poem that are represented in Savage’s sculpture.
- Read In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor Augusta Savage. Discuss the choices Savage had to make to pursue her dreams. Have students write about their own life dreams and the choices they would need to make to make them a reality.
- Discuss this artwork with your students using the following questions as a guide. Don’t tell the students the title or give any information until they have discussed the artwork and thought about it for themselves.
If you like this Augusta Savage post, you may also like:
Multicultural Kid Blogs, Black History Month Blog Hop
Welcome to our third annual Black History Month series! Follow along all month long as we explore the rich history and cultures of Africa and African-Americans.
You can also follow our Black History board on Pinterest:
Follow Multicultural Kid Blogs’s board Black History on Pinterest.
February 1
All Done Monkey on Multicultural Kid Blogs: George Washington Carver: Facts, Activities, and Resources
February 3
The Art Curator for Kids: Faith Ringgold’s Celebration of African American Women
February 4
Mama Smiles: Picture Books for Black History Month
February 5
Kid World Citizen: National Civil Rights Museum
Creative World of Varya: Quotes on Equality and Peace
February 8
Are Those Your Kids? on Multicultural Kid Blogs: Why Black History Month Matters
February 9
A Crafty Arab: 3rd Grade Art Lesson with Marita Dingus
February 12
Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes: Black History Month Children’s Books
February 15
Mother in the Mix: Mildred Loving, an Unsung Name in African American History
February 19
The Art Curator for Kids (this post!)
February 22
Crafty Moms Share
February 24
La Cité des Vents
February 26
LadyDeeLG
February 29
Hispanic Mama
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