Betye Saar: Art as Resistance | Irvine News

Presented by The Plant Daddies — rare specimen trees, living art, and hand-carved limestone vessels and fountains for extraordinary spaces. Showrooms in Los Angeles and Irvine. Listeners of Irvine News Today receive 10% off with code LANEWS10. theplantdaddies.com/lanews Betye Saar, the visionary artist who turned discarded objects into symbols of Black resistance and liberation, has died at 99—just days before her 100th birthday. A cornerstone of the 1960s Black Art Movement, she transformed everyday items and historical relics into searing commentary on race, power, and identity. From her roots in Pasadena’s vibrant Black arts scene to her iconic 1972 piece “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” which reimagined a racist icon as a revolutionary warrior, Saar’s work defied norms and reshaped narratives. Though she began her career in design, she emerged as a fearless voice in fine art, mentoring giants like Kerry James Marshall and leaving an indelible mark on the West Coast art world. Her legacy, celebrated in major museum retrospectives and ongoing exhibitions, endures as a testament to creativity, resilience, and the unyielding power of art to reclaim history. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/9ee196bd3b7891f8