img

Submit An Obituary

Honor a Life. Preserve a Legacy.

SACRED LEGACY ARCHIVES™

Selma Burke

1900-12-31 – 1995-08-29

Portrait of Selma Burke
Description: Selma Hortense Burke is one of the few African-American women sculptors who achieved a high level of national recognition during her lifetime. She received national recognition for her relief portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt which was the model for his image on the dime. She was committed to teaching art to others, so she established the Selma Burke Art School in New York City and opened the Selma Burke Art Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Creator/Photographer: Peter A. Juley & Son Medium: Black and white photographic print Dimensions: 8 in x 10 in Culture: American Persistent URL: [1] Repository: Smithsonian American Art Museum Native name Smithsonian American Art Museum Parent institution Smithsonian Institution Location Washington, D.C., United States Coordinates 38° 53′ 52″ N, 77° 01′ 24″ W Established 1829 Website http://americanart.si.edu/ Authority file : Q1192305 VIAF: 146976922 ISNI: 0000000122847868 ULAN: 500311465 LCCN: n81062959 NLA: 36217051 WorldCat institution QS:P195,Q1192305 Collection: Peter A. Juley & Son Collection Accession number: J0100404Credit: Peter A. Juley & Son Flickr uploader Smithsonian Institution from United States

Life & Legacy

Selma Hortense Burke (December 31, 1900 – August 29, 1995) was an American sculptor and a member of the Harlem Renaissance movement. Burke is best known for a bas relief portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt which may have been the model for his image on the obverse of the dime. She described herself as "a people's sculptor" and created many pieces of public art, often portraits of prominent African-American figures like Duke Ellington, Mary McLeod Bethune and Booker T. Washington. In 1979, she was awarded the Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award. She summed up her life as an artist, "I really live and move in the atmosphere in which I am creating".

Occupation & Career

sculptor, visual artist, artist

Education

Columbia University School of the Arts; Winston-Salem State University

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Candace Award; Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award; North Carolina Award for Fine Arts; honorary degree from Spelman College

Legacy Highlights

Honors & Awards

Candace Award · honorary degree from Spelman College · North Carolina Award for Fine Arts · Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award

Education & Institutions

Columbia University School of the Arts · Winston-Salem State University

Verified Legacy Record

Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q9075813 — wikidata View source

Are you related to Selma Burke?

Family members can contribute records, photographs and stories or request stewardship of this legacy.

Claim this legacy or contribute family history

Sacred Legacy Memorial Concierge © 2026 All Rights Reserved

View Family Tree