Melanin Library Small Logo
Augusta Savage

Report an issue


Augusta Savage

Marilyn Nelson

Biography, Poetry / Novels in Verse, Historical

Young Adult (13-18), Middle Grade (9-13)

Release Date: January 2022

Augusta Savage was arguably the most influential American artist of the 1930s. A gifted sculptor, Savage was commissioned to create a portrait bust of W.E.B. Du Bois for the New York Public Library. She flourished during the Harlem Renaissance and became a teacher to an entire generation of African American artists, including Jacob Lawrence, and would go on to be nationally recognized as one of the featured artists at the 1939 World’s Fair. She was the first-ever recorded Black gallerist. After being denied an artists’ fellowship abroad on the basis of race, Augusta Savage worked to advance equal rights in the arts. And yet popular history has forgotten her name. Deftly written and brimming with photographs of Savage’s stunning sculpture, this is an important portrait of an exceptional artists who, despite the limitations she faced, was compelled to forge a life through art and creativity.

This is an affiliate link. This means that the Melanin Library may get a small commission if you purchase something using our link, however you will not be charged more.