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Classroom · Grades 6–12

Augusta Savage

An artist’s work can include building institutions: through her teaching and the Harlem Community Art Center, Savage opened doors for a generation of Black artists that the art establishment had tried to keep closed.

Lesson at a Glance

Grades
Grades 6–12
Time
One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards
NCSS Themes 1 (Culture) and 4 (Individual Development and Identity); C3 D2.His.2, D2.His.3
Reading
Augusta Savage (profile)

Big Idea

An artist’s work can include building institutions: through her teaching and the Harlem Community Art Center, Savage opened doors for a generation of Black artists that the art establishment had tried to keep closed.

Before Class

Students read the profile of Augusta Savage, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

  1. In 1923 Savage was rejected from a summer art program in France because she was Black, and she protested publicly. What risks did speaking out carry for a young artist, and what did it accomplish?
  2. Why do you think Savage made Black subjects the center of works like Gamin? What message does a portrait of an ordinary Harlem youth send?
  3. Savage is remembered as much for the artists she trained as for her own sculpture. How should we measure an artist’s legacy?
  4. How did the WPA’s Federal Art Project change who could make art in the 1930s, and why did Savage fight for Black artists to be employed by it?

Activity

Project the Archives of American Art photograph of Savage with her sculpture Realization. Students spend five minutes on close observation, listing what they see — the setting, Savage’s pose, the figures in the sculpture — before offering any interpretation. Then, using the profile, the class discusses what the sculpture and its creation under the Federal Art Project reveal about Savage’s goals and the opportunities of the 1930s. As an exit task, each student writes a museum label of 50 to 75 words for the photograph.

Primary Sources

Cite this page
MLA
“Classroom lesson: Augusta Savage.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/augusta-savage/.
APA
Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: Augusta Savage. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/augusta-savage/
Chicago
Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: Augusta Savage.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/augusta-savage/.
Editorial Note

By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.

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