Betye Saar, the visionary Black feminist artist whose pioneering assemblage art dismantled racist stereotypes and redefined 20th-century American sculpture, died peacefully in her sleep July 26, 2026, at her home in Los Angeles. Betye Saar Revolutionized Assemblage ArtBorn Betye Irene Brown in Los Angeles on July 30, 1926, the acclaimed Black feminist artist emerged as a central figure during the Black Arts Movement and second-wave feminism of the late 1960s. Activist Angela Davis famously heralded The Liberation of Aunt Jemima as the artwork that effectively launched the Black women’s movement, establishing Saar as a premier Black feminist artist. Why Betye Saar Remains a Monumental Black Feminist ArtistThroughout her seven-decade career, Saar interrogated historical trauma while asserting the agency, dignity, and spiritual resilience of Black women. As documented by Roberts Projects, Saar maintained an active studio practice well into her late 90s, completing the sweeping garden installation Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight for the Huntington Library in 2023.