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Artist Betye Saar, whose work reflects Black identity, dies at 99
Compiled Aug 3
What happened
Artist Betye Saar died Sunday morning in Los Angeles at age 99.
The detail
She would have turned 100 this week.
The detail
She was a central figure of the 1960s Black Art Movement and pioneered assemblage boxes made of found objects.
The detail
Saar began her career in design and shifted to art at age 35, continuing to make art into her 90s.
How it unfolded
1968: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated, triggering rage in Saar that led to her later work. · 1969: Saar creates 'Black Girl's Window.' · 1972: Saar creates 'The Liberation of Aunt Jemima.' · 1975: Saar's work is exhibited in a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. · 2019: LACMA and MoMA mount concurrent solo shows of Saar's work; MoMA acquires 'Black Girl's Window.' · 2020: Quaker Oats announces it will retire its Aunt Jemima brand. · 2023: A documentary on Saar's life, 'Betye Saar: Ready to Be A Warrior,' is produced. · spring 2026: Saar is inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
By the numbers
99 age at death · 1969 year created · 1972 year created · 130 years of Quaker Oats brand · 26 dolls on view