Savage received a second Julius Rosenwald Fund Fellowship, further supporting her sculpture work and study.
On April 10, 1931, Augusta Savage received a second Julius Rosenwald Fund Fellowship, confirming the continuing value of her work and providing further support for her sculpture practice. In the context of the early 1930s, when the Great Depression severely limited artistic employment and patronage, such funding was especially important.
The fellowship reinforced Savage’s stature as a serious artist whose work merited sustained investment. For a Black woman sculptor, repeated fellowship support was exceptionally uncommon and reflected both her technical skill and the broader recognition of her role in the Harlem Renaissance. The award helped her maintain momentum during a period when many artists struggled to survive economically.
Augusta Savage used opportunities like this to deepen her practice and expand her influence. The fellowship also illustrates the fragile but real networks of support that enabled some Black artists to persist despite systemic barriers that made artistic careers especially difficult to sustain.