Selma Burke , Roosevelt Dime African American Art - October Gallery Created the image that was used in the Dime. 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.