Augusta Savage Gallery
Augusta Savage Gallery, located in New Africa House at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a multicultural and multiarts facility. Named in honor of renowned sculptor Augusta Savage, the gallery was founded in 1970 by the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies. Its mission is to promote artistic works from a broad spectrum of cultures. Exhibitions are selected for their aesthetic integrity and their ability to enlighten the viewer on such issues as race, ethnicity, class, and cultural identity.
Surveying Gravity: A Mirror for Growing Contradictions
September 4–25
In his research-driven installation, Justin Randolph Thompson explores the life and legacy of his grandfather, Randolph W. Bromery, former UMass chancellor and a Tuskegee Airman, geophysicist, jazz musician, and educator. An interactive recreation of Bromery’s unfinished basement brings visitors directly into Thompson’s memories of his grandfather.
The Souls of Black Folk
October 2 – November 13
Desmond Beach transforms the brutalities embedded in Black life into beauty, illuminating stories of resilience through intricate quilted portraits. His artworks are accompanied by cleansing rituals and performances native to African American spiritual practices.
Land of Water and Sugar Cane
November 20 – December 9
UMass graduate student Farihah Shah embarks on an exploration of cultural, land, and personal memory. Born in Canada and of Guyanese heritage, Shah uses photography, video, and sound installation to trace her connections to these places while engaging in postcolonial inquiry.
Recentering the Narrative: A workshop on art, justice, and storytelling
“I could really feel it in my body, and felt my heart racing,” said Smith College student Nikte Lopez-Aleshire, reflecting on a video shown during a mixed media workshop led by Augusta Savage Gallery's artist in residence, Angel Abreu. On February 7, students and community members grappled with race, police violence, and storytelling, turning powerful discussions into works of art that will appear in Abreu's Crossing Narratives exhibition.