In this lesson, students will learn about the life and legacy of Augusta Savage, an often overlooked sculptor from the Harlem Renaissance. Then, they will create a visual artwork to celebrate the lives and achievements of people in their own communities.
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.
Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “The Black Woman Artist Who Crafted a Life She Was Told She Couldn’t Have” by Concepción de León
The Harlem Renaissance was one of the richest periods of artistic, political and cultural expression. At the dawn of this vibrant era, “Augusta Savage fought racism to earn acclaim as a sculptor, showing her work alongside de Kooning and Dalí. But the path she forged is also her legacy,” Concepción de León writes in the latest entry of “Black History Continued,” a New York Times series exploring pivotal moments and transformative figures in Black history.
In this lesson, you will learn about the life and legacy of Savage, her contributions to the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. In a Going Further activity, we invite you to explore this rich and fertile historical period further and to create your own visual artwork to celebrate the life and achievements of people in your community.
Warm Up
What do you know about the Harlem Renaissance? Do you have a favorite writer, poet, activist or artist from this era?
Create a K/W/L chart to show what you know. In the left column, write down everything you think you know about the Harlem Renaissance, whether ideas, artworks, facts, names, places or anything else.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are some prompts to get you thinking:
-
In what period in history did the movement take place? What was the social and cultural climate of the United States at that time?
-
How and why did the cultural movement begin?
-
Who were some of the key figures in the movement?
-
What are some of the major artistic works from this period?
Then, in the middle column, write down what you want to know about the Harlem Renaissance.
Next, watch the three-minute video below on the Harlem Renaissance by the organization Black History in Two Minutes (or So). As you watch, add any additional information to the “What I Learned” column of your chart. You can also add any further questions you have to the “What I Want to Know” column.
As you read the featured article, you will continue to learn about this vibrant period. You can add what you are learning to the “What I Learned” column.
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article and then answer the following questions:
1. Concepción de León writes that “the story of the commission and destruction of ‘The Harp’ and its eventual fate is a microcosm of the challenges Savage faced — and the ones Black artists dealt with at the time and are still dealing with today.” What does she mean by “a microcosm”? Describe in your own words the journey of Savage’s most famous sculpture and how it reflects with the current challenges facing Black artists.
2. What biographical events most shaped Savage’s life and her work? What aspects of her life story resonate most for you?
3. How did Savage fight back against the prejudice and racism she faced throughout her life, such as the rescinding of a scholarship to attend the Fontainebleau School of Fine Arts in Paris when the administration learned that she was Black?
4. Why did Savage open the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem in 1932? What impact did it have on generations of Black artists? How was her vision of community-driven education part of the African-American tradition, according to Bridget R. Cooks, an art historian and associate professor at University of California, Irvine?
5. Sadly, most of Savage’s work has been lost or destroyed. “Imagine the power of somebody looking at ‘The Harp’ in its sort of monumental size for the last 70 years,” Niama Safia Sandy, a curator and visiting assistant professor at the Pratt Institute, is quoted as saying in the article. She asks, “What could that have changed?” How would you answer Ms. Sandy’s question? What do you think viewers have lost from the absence of Savage’s work in public life? Do you agree with calls to recreate “The Harp” and display it at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington?
6. While Savage viewed her own legacy with humility, putting the emphasis on the success of her students, Ms. de León writes that “her work, and her plight, still resonate.” She quotes Jeffreen Hayes, a curator and the executive director of Threewalls, an arts nonprofit group in Chicago:
“I don’t think about Augusta Savage as someone who only made objects,” Dr. Hayes said, but rather as someone who “has really left behind a blueprint of what it means to be an artist that centers humanity.”
Do you agree with Ms. de León and Dr. Hayes’s assessment of Savages’s legacy? How should we remember Savage today? What is your own assessment of Savage’s artistry? What qualities of “The Harp” and other works showcased in the article do you find most affecting or artistically significant? What lessons and inspiration can we learn from her life and work?
Going Further
Option 1: Analyze and interpret an artwork by Augusta Savage.
Write your own analysis and interpretation of Savage’s “The Harp” (or another work, such as “Realization” or “Gamin,” both discussed in the article) using vivid and detailed sensory language.
While the original work was destroyed, you can watch this video of “The Harp” from the 1939 World’s Fair and read interpretations of the sculpture here. Additionally, you might read James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” or listen to a recording of the song, which was the inspiration for Savage’s piece.
To help you formulate your analysis, you might use these three questions modified from our What’s Going On in This Picture? feature:
-
What is going on in this picture or artwork?
-
What do you see that makes you say that?
-
What more can you find?
Then dig a little deeper:
-
What do you notice about the composition, style, objects and people in the sculpture? What symbols, allusions, metaphors and allegories can you identify?
-
Why did this artwork stand out to you? What do you find interesting or moving about it?
-
What connections can you make between the artwork and your own life or experience? Does this sculpture remind you of anything else you’ve seen or read?
-
What do you think is the purpose of this artwork? What do you think the artist wanted to communicate? Why did Augusta Savage choose “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as her inspiration?
-
What questions would you ask Savage about this work if you could?
You can write your analysis and interpretation as an essay, or consider a creative presentation application like Google Slides, Thinglink or Prezi to help you focus your audience’s attention on visual details of the artwork you find most significant.
Option 2: Learn more about the visual artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
While the literature of the Harlem Renaissance often gets the most attention, such as the work of Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, we invite you to explore the lives, work and contributions of visual artists associated with the period, including James Van Der Zee, Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Palmer Hayden, William H. Johnson and Aaron Douglas.
Choose one artist to explore and share what you learned with your class.
Some guiding questions for your research: How did this artist become involved in the Harlem Renaissance? What was this artist’s role — politically, socially and culturally — in the movement? What was this artist’s personal life like? What was this artist’s most famous work? What works did this artist produce that did not gain fame or were not recognized until after his or her death? How does his or her work compare to Augusta Savage’s? What is thought to be this artist’s contribution to Black culture and the world?
Here are some free online resources you might use for your research:
“The Harlem Renaissance Primary Source Set” (Library of Congress)
“Uncovering America: Harlem Renaissance” (National Gallery of Art)
“Africana Age: African and African Diasporan Transformations in the 20th Century, The New Negro Renaissance” (New York Public Library)
“Online Educational Resources: The Harlem Renaissance” (Humanities Texas)
“Harlem Renaissance” (History.com)
Option 3: Create a visual artwork to represent your community, identity or place.
Now, it’s your turn: Inspired by “The Harp” and other work by Augusta Savage, design and create an original visual artwork capturing the spirit, aspirations and achievements of the community in which you live. Your work can be realistic, abstract or symbolic and can use a variety of materials — pen, pencil, paint, watercolor, clay or digital tools.
Additionally, you might want to choose a text, like “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” or a more contemporary poem or song that has great meaning for you to help guide and inspire your vision.
Afterward, share your artwork in a virtual or classroom gallery exhibition and celebrate.
About Lesson of the Day
• Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column.
• Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.
"artist" - Google News
April 07, 2021 at 03:00PM
https://ift.tt/3rTL9bj
Lesson of the Day: ‘The Black Woman Artist Who Crafted a Life She Was Told She Couldn’t Have’ - The New York Times
"artist" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2FwLdIu
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Lesson of the Day: ‘The Black Woman Artist Who Crafted a Life She Was Told She Couldn’t Have’ - The New York Times"
Post a Comment