Many thanks to Camille Ann Brewer for a delightful afternoon with Open Studio: Conversations on Art. During GMAS’s visit with Camille she shared a glimpse (and the amazing story behind it) of her beautiful Augusta Savage bronze sculpture that is currently in her private collection. We definitely wanted to share it with you!
Augusta C. Savage (1892-1962), sculptor, activist and educator was born in Cove Springs, Florida. With the encouragement of her high school principal, Savage began teaching clay modeling to her classmates for which she was paid a small fee. She moved to move to New York to pursue art studies and attended Cooper Union in 1921. Savage was commissioned to create a bust of W.E.B DuBois for the Harlem branch library in 1923 and more commissions followed. In 1929, Savage enrolled in the Academie de la Grand Chaumiere in Paris. After returning to New York, Savage continued her practice. Sensing the need to give purpose to children in Harlem, Savage drew youngsters to the Savage Studio of Arts & Crafts, providing a space for exploration and expression. Among her many young students who went on to stellar careers in fine art were William Artis, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis and Ernest Crichlow.
Check out a recent NPR article on Augusta Savage: https://www.npr.org/2019/07/15/740459875/sculptor-augusta-savage-said-her-legacy-was-the-work-of-her-students
