Betye Saar’s 100th Birthday Marked by Global Exhibitions

Legendary Black‑Arts and feminist artist Betye Saar turns 100 on July 30, 2026. Museums and galleries in the United States and France are presenting a series of retrospectives and special shows to honour her legacy. In Los Los Angeles, the Roberts Projects gallery opens “Let’s Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar,” featuring over 200 objects from her early costume‑design work at the Inner City Cultural Center and new photographs of 1960s productions. The same venue will host a book signing for a forthcoming biography and catalogue.

The New York Historical Society showcases “Betye Saar’s Black Dolls,” displaying a selection of the 100‑plus dolls Saar collected in the late 1960s. Across France, multiple institutions are mounting exhibitions of her assemblage boxes, including the iconic 1972 work “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” which reframes racist imagery into symbols of liberation. These coordinated programs aim to highlight Saar’s impact on identity, spirituality, and African‑American art, while encouraging audiences to explore her vast body of work.