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SCULPTING
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Research Project
Do some research to f ind another sculptor who was either
black or a woman (or both). Write a short report on that
person’s art and the struggles he or she faced because of rac-
ism or sexism. If the artist you chose is still alive, try and
f ind some interviews with her to learn about her experiences in her own
words.
To pursue her career, Augusta moved to New York City and went to
Cooper Union for college. The school didn’t charge tuition, and it gave
her some money she could use to pay for things like food. While she
was at Cooper Union, she applied for a summer art program in France.
She was rejected because she was black, and she couldn’t change the
minds of those who were in charge of admittance.
After college, she kept on sculpting in New York City. She set up her
own business as a portrait sculptor. She was so talented that she was
commissioned to create sculpture portraits of W.E.B. DuBois and Mar-
cus Garvey, important African American leaders of the early twentieth
century.
In the 1920s and 1930s, she finally traveled around in Europe, study-
ing art and creating sculptures. When she came back to the United
States, she started teaching sculpture and created her own art studio to
help younger artists—particularly African American ones—get started in
the business.
By this time, Augusta was well known. She created a sculpture called