365 Days of Art: June 8 – Augusta Savage Opens Gallery

Augusta Savage, circa 1938, with some of her sculptures.

June 8, 1939

Augusta Savage opens an art gallery on 125th Street in Harlem called the Salon of Contemporary Negro Art. The opening reception is well-attended, with 500 people of both races there, and there is buzz surrounding this well-known artist. The unfortunate thing is that residents of Harlem have no money for art, and people with money don’t want to come to Harlem. The gallery soon closes.