American, b. 1892-1962 Augusta Savage studied in New York City
and gained a reputation as a portraitist of the Negro
Renaissance leaders. She went to Paris on a Rosenwald Foundation
fellowship that enabled her to continue her studies. She return
to the United States in 1934 and became the first African
American woman to be elected to the National Association of
Women Painters and Sculptors. In 1937, she became the first
African American artist to be selected for a commission to
design a piece for the New York World’s Fair. She designed a
very large work based on James Weldon Johnson’s poem Lift Every
Voice and Sing that was design to pay tribute to African
American contributions to music. Savage would go on to become
director of Harlem Commounity Arts Centre under the auspices of
the WPA. She was also an ardent supporter and mentor to rising
African American artists.