The National Sculpture Society (NSS) awards the 2026 Augusta Savage Grant to Chris Malone. The Grant is for excellence in sculpture and is awarded to a talented emerging sculptor who self-identifies as Black or African American. The jury included the 2025 grant recipient, Jules Arthur; artist and writer Delano Burrowes; and Ashley Robertson Preston, Associate Professor of History at Howard University.

Preston congratulates Malone on his “amazing body of work that is sure to make an invaluable contribution to the art world at large as a modern representation of the legacy of Augusta Savage. Such a worthwhile competition, especially in times like these!”

Malone feels that his creations come from his unknown African past. He says, “When my ancestors came to this country chained in the belly of ships as cargo, they were taken away from their language, families, and way of life; and this included their Gods. I believe my work takes it a step further to use it as a medium to explore spirituality and ancestry. Creating these sculptures is a balance between imaginative play and spiritual practice.”

Malone is a self-taught artist with prior careers in the fashion world and as a senior zookeeper at the National Zoo. He works chiefly in ceramic clay, polymer clay, fabrics and mosaics to create one-of-a-kind works. These works have been featured in American Craft Magazine, The Washington Post and Art Doll Quarterly. He is represented by the Stella Jones Gallery in New Orleans, LA.

The Augusta Savage Grant is funded through a generous donation and consists of an unrestricted cash prize of $2500. Augusta Savage (1892-1962) is one of the most influential African American artists of the 1930s. The Society will present the grant on May 16, 2026 at the Honors and Awards Dinner, held this year in Old Saybrook, CT. The event is part of the annual Sculpture Celebration.