Betye Saar, pioneering figure of Black arts movement, dies at 99

Leading assemblage artist was known for reclaiming Jim Crow-era memorabilia as images of Black liberation

Artist Betye Saar, the pioneering figure of the Black arts movement, died on Sunday morning in her home town of Los Angeles. She was 99.

Saar, a famous practitioner of assemblage, an artistic style that builds sculpture from everyday objects, was best known for reclaiming Jim Crow era memorabilia such as dolls and washboards and recasting them as images of Black liberation. Saar also worked in genres including printmaking and film, exploring themes from family to spirituality.