Book of the Day > Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman
Book of the Day > Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman. Published by Giles, Ltd.
"This is a timely, visual exploration of the life, art, and lasting legacy of Augusta Savage (1892–1962). An outstanding sculptor associated with the intellectual and cultural awakening known as the Harlem Renaissance, Savage overcame poverty, racism, and sexual discrimination in pursuit of her goals. Creating new visions of Black identity in her work, she was also an activist, campaigning for equal rights for African Americans in the arts. Born just outside Jacksonville, Florida, Savage left the South to pursue new opportunities. She took classes at Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, and in 1929 won an award to study in Paris. Returning to Harlem, she opened a studio, and also offered art classes. She was one of the founders of the Harlem Artists Guild and was made the first director of the federally supported Harlem Community Art Center. Through her leadership there, Savage had an impact on two generations of Harlem artists, among them Charles Alston, William Artis, Romare Bearden, Robert Blackburn, Selma Burke, Ernest Crichlow, Gwendolyn Knight, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Marvin Smith, and Morgan Smith—all represented in this book.This groundbreaking volume features illustrations of more than forty works by Savage, her students, and her contemporaries, archival letters and rarely seen photographs, as well as essays by three outstanding scholars and an extensive bibliography."