Harlem Renaissance Women: Augusta Savage

BIOGRAPHY: AUGUSTA SAVAGE

     Augusta Savage was born in Green Cove Springs, Florida in 1892. As a child, she liked to sculpt things out of clay, but her parents strongly opposed her love of sculpting, and it wasn’t until she sculpted a statue of the Virgin Mary that her parents acknowledged and accepted her talent (biography.com). After giving birth to a girl, and surviving the sudden death of her first marriage, Savage moved to New York City to study at Cooper Union Art School (pbs.org). In New York, she was commissioned to sculpt portraits of highly well known and influential African American figures like W.E.B. Dubois and Marcus Garvey, and went on to gain wide recognition of her work, in America and Europe (pbs.org).

"Gamin"

  One Harlem Renaissance themes in Augusta Savage’s life include Determination to Fight Oppression. She fought for equal rights all her life, starting from when her application for a summer art program in France was turned down by the international judging committee because she was black (wikipedia.com). She fought back against the committee, and continued to fight oppression and make great art, and found a way to establish herself in France a little later in life (biography.com).

"The Harp"

  Savage is influential not only because of her beautiful work, but also because of her career as a teacher in the Harlem Community. She created the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts, which became Harlem Community Arts Center, with her as it’s first director (pbs.com). The center was successful in teaching young artists in Harlem, and inspired other art centers in different parts of America. Many of her students grew into famous artists and activists. She was also the first African American in the National Association of Woman Painters and Sculptors (wikipedia.com).

  I chose to learn about Augusta Savage because I wanted to learn more about female artists in Harlem, and I really like her work. I admire her ability to create amazing work despite intense obstacles.

Original Post Date:  Saturday, March 10, 2012

Harlem Renaissance Women: Sari Price Patton

Repost of Wearable Art 1/25/2012  Winold Reiss: “Sari Price Patton,” 1925. Private collection. © The Reiss Partnership.
I came across Winold Reiss’ painting of this chic young woman at the wonderful exhibition “Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties" at the Brooklyn Museum. I love the Patton’s trendy page-boy haircut and her loose-fitting, low-waisted black silk gown and the yellow pleated ruffled tie and cuffs. She’s fashionable and youthful. She’s also black: You don’t see very many portraits of middle-class black women — or men — in many major museum shows, so I was intrigued.
There is very little info available on Sari Price Patton, but she was the hostess at a popular Harlem salon run by A’Lelia Walker. A patroness of black artists, including Harlem Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes, Walker hosted black writers, sculptors, poets, painters, musicians and their friends at her house, serving food, champagne and gin. She and her friends decided to open a more formal salon, for conversation, poetry readings and art exhibitions, called ”The Dark Tower” (after the Countee Cullens poem). Yet the Dark Tower only lasted a year: partly because Walker had hoped to profit from the enterprise so started charging high prices the artists couldn’t afford. (The writer Bruce Nugent griped that “Colored faces were at a premium, the place filled to overflowing with with whites from downtown who had come up expecting that this was a new and hot nightclub.”*
But the club also lost money because our Sari Price Patton was caught embezzling some of the daily receipts. This was in 1927/1928, so before Reiss painted the chic young woman here.
* From “On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker” by A’Lelia Bundles 
Painting from the Brooklyn Museum’s website

    

King Siblings

Sibling rivalry never seems to stop, but this is ridiculous.  How dare anyone want to sale for profit items that were so important to their parents?  Are you so desperate for money?  Go to work, check out new investments, but do not make a mockery of your father's legacy. First and foremost, children are parents most prized possessions, not things; but at the same time children should want to hold onto certain items which were relevant to their parents.  Children should honor the memory of their parents, stop bickering and acting like spoiled brats.  All that your father fought for you ridicule and trivialize with your ignorant behavior.  Shame on you!  You should be able to settle your differences amongst yourselves.  You should not be so desperate for money that you would want to sale 'sacred items' and stealing from the memorial is disgraceful.  Furthermore, what right would any board have to demand for a child to turn over personal items which rightfully belong to the child?  The bible and the Nobel prize medal are both family heirlooms, not to be shared with the world -- they belonged to her father and they are relevant to her.  Bernice should not have to relinquish them to the memorial. As stated, some things are sacred and should not be shared.  People get a grip!Martin Luther King Jr.'s children in court over his Bible, Nobel Prize http://fw.to/WvEc0mg

White Collar Crime

Well, it would seem that the more you steal and break the law the more lenient the judges are. In fact they are so lenient that instead of upholding and enforcing the law they mock it with comments such as 'ridiculous' or 'totally inappropriate' and feel that those who have committed the crime are undeserving of the imposed sentencing guidelines, thereby deeming it necessary to lessen the penalty because the culprits are such 'law-abiding citizens' and no 'real harm was done. The judges will look at their past history: civic duties, military service,board positions, letters from friends and rule that the culprit should not be held accountable for the actual crime committed. No mention of being held to a higher standard because you are in a post which expects you to be honorable and just. I am having a hard time in understanding how these judges feel that no harm was done. Maybe it is just me, but it seems that the more money you steal the safer you are. There is always 'plausable deniability' to hide behind and there never seems to be any mention of RETURNING the ill-gotten gain. Furthermore, judges seem to think that sentencing guidelines are "TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE" (U.S. District Judge Mark Davis). Disgraced former Gov. Bob McDonnell only received two years on 13 felony counts by U.S. Dist Jdge James Spencer who felt the sentencing guidelines were 'ridiculous'. Wayne Perry was found guilty on 4 counts each of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft and one count of altering records. Judge Davis sentenced him to five years and three months. I am sure that neither couple will serve one prison day. Only in America.

Teen Ingrate

Everyone has an opinion on matters which disturb our souls so I must chime in on the sixteen year old Vincent Parker who was recently sentenced for killing his parents in December 2013 – less than a week away from Christmas.  Some believe the killings were due to academia meltdown since he was an honor student. I am sure his parents encouraged him to strive for excellence.  Some believe it was lack of discipline because he could not handle having his iPod taken away by his father.  He retaliated because he lost access privilege for disobedience of some sort. He claimed it stemmed from his father taking his iPod and stuff, but never admits to why it was taken.  It is the “and stuff” which concerns me.  He is so cunningly smart, yet he is unable to articulate the exact reason for his rage leaving family to speculate while in mourning.  I say this was a premeditated act because this MAD CHILD thought about this all day, plotted how to take his parents down, came home angry, waited for his mother to get out of the bathe, smashed her face beyond recognition, left the house then returned (obviously gone through the rites of passage of learning to drive, obtaining a driver's license, or well on his way to) to wait for his father's return and repeat the hideous crime.  A True psychotic ingrate!  Whatever happened to 'honor thy father and thy mother’?  Why do teens think parents don't understand, but will follow a total stranger?  As parents we are guardians over our children which mean we guide and prepare them to rightfully take their place in society while protecting them from all harm.  We provide a safe haven for you to develop and mature and in the process we shall sometimes say NO, to your requests and desires for good cause – we are trying to protect and guide you from a grave mistake.  Trust us enough to know that we only have your best interest in mind.  Vincent Parker did not trust his parent’s judgment and brutally murdered them for (speculative speaking) rejecting him coming out as gay.  

What caught my attention is the fact that he came out as gay.  Society is pushing this banner 'it's okay for teens to be gay' and many people do not believe that to be so. Such a banner confuses our children even more so and by them experimenting with emotions that one has not yet learned to obviously control always leads to disaster. Vincent Parker had experienced the 'ultimate temper tantrum' that ended THREE people lives. Wayne & Carol Parker, his parents are gone from this earth forever and he shall never come to recognize his potential or experience the life his parents had imagined and planned for him.  Well prison life is not a walk in the park as Vincent shall come to learn for all those privileges he felt entitled to have been revoked and his future experiences of being gay shall be a rude awakening.

Spare the rod spoil the child is how I was raised, but I learned from other siblings discipline as well as my own.  Parents believe that they must give their children every opportunity they were denied or failed to experience, but when we give our children everything it stifles their growth and cripples them to believe they do not have to work for anything and that they are entitled.  It makes them believe they have a right, when in actuality they are given far too many privileges and they become ungrateful.  They take advantage of our kindness.  Parents must make changes, cut back on giving kids so many things; make them work for some of those items and avail them to some humbling experiences like volunteering at shelters, nursing homes, hospitals and other humbling causes which will build their character while they make a positive difference in the lives of less fortunate.

Ingrate Teen Murders Parents

A Woman's Worth

There is something wrong with society and it has been for awhile now.  Although we have progressed in general we are many miles away from unity, peace…love.  My mind is boggled by the fact there is so much disrespect for other people…particularly for women.  Are we not the threshold to life?  Are we not human?  Are we not nurturers?  Do we not bleed?  Then why in the Hell are we so despised and disrespected by men, by other women…by ourselves?  How is it that we can accept the negative opinion of others over a positive opinion of ourselves?  How is it that we as women can believe the lie that we are worthless when in fact WE ARE PRICELESS?  Why do we allow temporary circumstances and situations determine our outcome?  Why do we not believe in our own capabilities and strength?  Why do we allow the abuse, the neglect, the disrespect, the disloyalty?  We are Women and WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER!

Mrs. Independent The Stage Play by Priest Tyaire

     I had the pleasure of taking myself on a date today & just as if I was being courted I primped & put on my best -- a shear black dress that was embellished with grey rhinestones at the hemline and 3/4 inch sleeves.  I dawned on a pair of elegant earrings, slipped on my black stilettos & grabbed my clutch.  I did not need anyone to go with me, because I would met many acquaintances with the same agenda -- to enjoy an afternoon of entertainment at the play by some well known actors and singers:  Robin Givens, Shirley Murdock, Christopher Williams, Anthony & Trisha Grant.  I must say that this crew did not disappoint & gave the audience an awesome performance with excellent improv during technical difficulties.  Bravo to you all!  The music was crisp, clear, heart-wrenching and tear-jerking.  (So much for the mascara & false lashes!)

     I cannot forget the secondary cast members that gave exceptional performances:  Camille Forrest, Joshua Copeland, Carl Lolley, Bria Evans, Priest Tyaire, Sr and Jr.  Yes, father and son paired-up and entertained the audience with humor while emphasizing  the importance of family and having a strong foundation in Christ Jesus. 

     The messages were strong:  you can have all the money in the world, but without someone to share it with you can be left alone feeling quite worthless.  Family is priceless and help to fulfill our lives.   Finally and most importantly, let us never forget to include that major cord which keeps us together as well as grounded -- JESUS who we connect with through prayer.  

     At the end of the show both Mr. Tyaire's mingled with audience and thanked everyone for gracing them with their presence.  Bravo Mr. Tyaire for a phenomenal production and stunning performance by the entire cast.  I look forward to the next play with great expectations.