Jan
01

The monumental imagination of Augusta Savage

Augusta Savage, a Harlem Renaissance sculptor who has been called one of the most influential artists of the 21st century, had a vision: Public monuments honoring Black Americans. But the sculpture she created in the 1930s to honor her vision might not be what you expect.

Graphic representation of August Savage sculpting for Sidedoor episode 8.15

Some have called her one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century, yet few of her most impactful pieces have survived to the present day.

This time on Sidedoor, we look at the life, art, and legacy of Augusta Savage, a Harlem Renaissance sculptor who formed a fresh perspective on African American representation and shaped generations of artists in the process.

Side-by-side photos of August Savage with her sculptures Art, Sculpture, and Harp
“Art – Sculpture – Harp (Augusta Savage).” New York World’s Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated records. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Guests

  • Karen Lemmey, Lucy S. Rhame Curator of Sculpture at the Smithsonian American Art Museum 
  • Grace Yasumura, assistant curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum 
  • Tess Korobkin, Professor of American Art at University of Maryland, College Park
Photo of Augusta Savage with her sculpture "Realization" and a close-up of a bust of an African American woman
Left: Augusta Savage with her sculpture Realization. Photograph by Andrew Herman, 1938. Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, circa 1920-1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Right: Gamin by Augusta Savage. Painted plaster, ca. 1929. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Benjamin and Olya Margolin, 1988.57

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