Augusta Savage was born Augusta Christine Fells on February 29, 1892, in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Part of a huge family, she began formation art as a kid, using the natural clay originate in her area. Skipping school at times, she enjoyed sculpting animals and other small figures. But her father, a Methodist minister, didn't support of this action and did whatever he can to stop her. Savage once said that her father "almost whipped all the art out of me."
Despite her father's oppositions, Savage continued to create sculptures. When the family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1915, she encountered a new challenge: a lack of clay. Savage ultimately got some resources from a local potter and created a crowd of