# Betye Saar 100th birthday and passing > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/betye-saar-100th-birthday-and-passing > Updated: 2026-07-29T22:45:12.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 3. In late July 2026 U.S. and French museums readied major exhibitions for Betye Saar’s centennial, showcasing her early costume work, black‑doll collection, and seminal assemblages such as “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima.” Four days before the celebrations, the artist died peacefully in her Los Angeles home on 26 July 2026 at age 99. Her longtime gallery, Roberts Projects, represented by Julie Roberts, confirmed the death. Obituaries emphasized Saar’s pivotal role in the 1960s Black Arts Movement and the lasting impact of works like “Black Girl’s Window” (1969) and “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima” (1972), which have been described as catalysts for Black feminist art. The slated exhibitions have been reframed as posthumous tributes, with institutions including MoMA, LACMA and the Getty highlighting her legacy of transforming everyday objects into powerful commentary on racism, Black identity and cultural memory. ## Claims - Betye Saar died in Los Angeles on July 26, 2026 at age 99. (corroborated by 11 sources) - Betye Saar was a pioneering figure of the 1960s Black Art Movement and created assemblage boxes from found objects. (corroborated by 11 sources) - The artwork “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima” was created in 1972 and depicts a mammy figure holding a rifle and a broom. (corroborated by 11 sources) - Roberts Projects in Los Angeles was Betye Saar’s representing gallery at the time of her death. (corroborated by 11 sources) - Betye Saar was born in 1926 in Los Angeles. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Museum of Modern Art acquired “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima” and “Black Girl’s Window” in 2019. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Betye Saar created the artwork “Black Girl’s Window” in 1969. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-07-29: Betye Saar, pioneering Black assemblage artist, dies at 99 Renowned American assemblage artist Betye Saar died in Los Angeles at 99, leaving a legacy of works like The Liberation of Aunt Jemima that reshaped Black art and addressed racism. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/betye-saar-pioneering-black-assemblage-artist-dies-at-99 ### 2026-07-27: Betye Saar, pioneering Black assemblage artist, dies at 99 in Los Angeles Betye Saar, pioneering Black assemblage artist, died at 99 in Los Angeles on July 26, 2026, four days before her centennial, leaving a legacy of works like “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima” and “Black Girl’s Wall 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/betye-saar-pioneering-american-assemblage-artist-dies-at-99 ### 2026-07-24: Betye Saar’s 100th Birthday Marked by Global Exhibitions Betye Saar celebrates her 100th birthday with major exhibitions in the US and France, featuring her assemblage art, wearable designs, and a collection of Black dolls. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/betye-saars-100th-birthday-marked-by-global-exhibitions --- Cite as: Betye Saar 100th birthday and passing. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/betye-saar-100th-birthday-and-passing