Clay, Country, and Concrete: Tracing Augusta Savage from Harlem to The Bronx
This virtual presentation by Dr. La Tasha Brown re-examines the pivotal later years of renowned Harlem Renaissance sculptor, educator, and activist Augusta Savage (1892–1962). Art historical scholarship has traditionally characterized Savage’s post-Harlem period—specifically her years in rural Saugerties, New York
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(1945–1960)—as an era of economic decline and “relative obscurity.” Drawing on primary-source archival findings, regional material culture, and local historical documentation, this talk reframes that narrative. By tracing Savage’s trajectory from the urban creative hub of Harlem, through her vibrant studio practice and civic involvement in the Hudson Valley, to her 1960 relocation to the Bronx while battling terminal cancer, this presentation offers a fundamental reconsideration of her late-career legacy. Rather than a retreat or defeat, Savage’s time in Saugerties and her courageous chapter in The Bronx reveal a profound story of artistic endurance, personal resilience, and the redefinition of creative legacy in the face of illness.