Augusta Savage

Art Brokerage: Augusta Savage American Artist: b. 1892-1962. Augusta Savage established herself as a sculptor, civil rights activist and an influential educator with her Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem. She gained artistic notoriety after she created busts of prominent figures in the black community such as W.E.B. Dubois and Marcus Garvey. For the New York World's Fair of 1939, she was commissioned to envision a sculpture detailing African Americans' contributions to music. Savage named the piece The Harp, which was inspired by Negro hymns and spirituals. Unfortunately, once the fair ended, The Harp was destroyed due to lack of funds to store it. Savage's best known work is a bust called Gamin. Created circa 1929, its subject is up for debate: some believe the featured boy was Savage's nephew while others believe he was a homeless youth. Either way, at the time it was voted most popular in an exhibition of over 200 works by black artists and today stands on permanent display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Listings wanted.