WRITTEN BY MUSEUM EDUCATOR DEBORAH PIERSON

Photo by Dennis Ho
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) are pleased to announce that Duval County fourth-grade students enrolled at Title I schools have been selected to attend a free school tour of Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman. DCPS is providing funding for bus transportation (via the Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant). Special thanks to the Cummer Museum, DCPS, and local sponsors for making this opportunity available to participating fourth-grade classrooms in Jacksonville’s public schools.

Photo by Dennis Ho
For more than 20 years, the Cummer Museum has been a leader in arts integration incorporating art, language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics into its tours. Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman, curated by Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D., has brought national attention to a local heroine, whose work as an artist, teacher, mentor, and activist richly represents North Florida history, the Harlem Renaissance, and women artists. This exhibition is a must-see for every member of the community, and we are pleased to partner with DCPS Superintendent Dr. Diana L. Greene to bring local fourth-graders to the Museum.

Photo by Dennis Ho
Fourth-grade curriculum focuses on local and state history. With Augusta Savage’s close ties to Northeast Florida – as a young girl growing up in Green Cove Springs, and as a young woman living in Jacksonville for a short time before moving to Harlem in the height of the Harlem Renaissance – this exhibition inspires students and teachers through the contributions of an important artist from their region. During their tour experience, students will learn about Augusta Savage’s early life in Northeast Florida, look closely at her artwork, and discover the role she played in the Harlem Renaissance movement as a teacher, mentor, and activist. In the studio, students will become sculptors and create their own three-dimensional works of art just as Savage did. Whether students have grown up in Northeast Florida or have only lived here for a short while, this experience will reinforce the fact that people just like them can make a positive impact on the world. The Museum is excited to welcome participating DCPS fourth-grade classrooms and invites schools from throughout the region to plan a visit to the Cummer Museum to experience the artistic, social, and historic impact of Augusta Savage through original works of art.

Photo by Dennis Ho
Augusta Savage School Tour Sponsors: Mrs. Helen Beedy and Mr. Greg Beedy; Ms. Caroline O. Brinton; Randy and Allison DeFoor; Dr. Anne Egan and Mr. George Egan; Ms. Elizabeth Exley; Ms. Janice W. Hall; Mr. Noah Henderson; Ms. Anna Henry; Mrs. Ann C. Hicks; Mr. Alden Howell; Mr. Thomas Larson and Ms. Janine K. Leland; The Law Offices of James F. Waters III P.A.; Mr. Gary Metzner; Ms. Pamela Y. Paul; Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert J. Pomar, Jr.; Mr. Joseph Porter and Mr. Carter Elliott; Mr. and Mrs. Edward Pratt-Dannals; Stephanie and Tom Welchans
Augusta Savage Exhibition Planning and Community Advisory Committee: Carol Alexander; Dustin Harewood; Barbara Harrell; Marty Jones; Princess Simpson Rashid; James Richardson; Adonnica Toler
Augusta Savage Host Committee (to date): Mr. and Mrs. Thompson Baker, III; Sally F. Baldwin; Caroline O. Brinton; Susan and Hugh Greene; Mr. and Mrs. William Harrell; John & Jan Hirabayashi; Mr. Hank Holbrook and Mrs. Pam D. Paul; Peter and Kiki Karpen; John and Nancy Kennedy; The Law Offices of James F. Waters, III, P.A.; Velma Monteiro-Tribble; Rick and Amy Morales; Kitty and Phil Phillips; James Richardson and Sandra Hull-Richardson; Sharón Simmons and Shirley Webb; Nina and Lex Waters; Dr. and Mrs. H. Warner Webb; Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Zimmerman
Exhibition Season Presenters: Ameris Bank; City of Jacksonville; Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc.; Robert D. and Isabelle T. Davis Endowment at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida; The Director’s Circle at the Cummer Museum; The Schultz Family Endowment
Sponsors: Charmaine T.W. Chiu and Ernest Y. Koe; Dr. Elizabeth Colledge; Cynthia G. Edelman Family Fund; The Hicks Foundation; Bob and Monica Jacoby; Dick and Marty Jones; Trisha Meili and Jim Schwarz; Michael Munz; NEA Art Works; Van and Sandra Royal; Mr. Ryan A. Schwartz; Allan Schwartzman; Sotheby’s Prize; Carl S. Swisher Foundation, Inc.; State of Florida; Wells Fargo
Community Partners: Avant Arts; City of Green Cove Springs; GENERATION W; Jacksonville Public Library; JAX Chamber; Leadership Jacksonville; Museum of Science & History; OneJax; Ritz Theatre and Museum; Special Project Partners; TEDx Jacksonville; University of North Florida Center of Urban Education and Policy; University of North Florida Department of Art and Design; Women of Color Cultural Foundation; Women’s Giving Alliance
In-Kind Sponsors: Agility Press, Inc.; DoubleTree Jacksonville Riverfront; The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library; Wingard
With Publication Support From: Henry Luce Foundation