Betye Saar: key obituary facts
Is Betye Saar dead? Yes. Betye Saar died on July 26, 2026, at age 99.
Cause of death: Betye Saar's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Betye Saar known for?
She was an African American sculptor (born 1926).
More about Betye Saar
Born: 30 July 1926.
Place of birth: Los Angeles.
Place of death: Los Angeles.
Gender: female.
Occupation: painter, assemblage artist, printmaker, graphic artist, installation artist, sculptor, jewelry designer, artist.
Nationality: United States.
Education: University of California, Los Angeles, Pasadena City College, California State University, Long Beach.
Employer: University of California, Los Angeles.
Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship, Anonymous Was A Woman Award, Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award.
Father: Jefferson Maze Brown.
Mother: Beatrice Lillian Parson.
Spouse: Richard Saar.
Also known as: Betye Irene Saar, Betye Irene Brown.
Known for: Assemblage.
Betye Saar, the American artist known for her assemblage work, died on July 26, 2026, aged 99.
Born Betye Irene Brown on July 30, 1926, in Los Angeles, she built a career as a painter, printmaker, graphic artist, installation artist, sculptor, jewelry designer and assemblage artist. Saar was recognized for politically charged work that confronted anti-Black racism and challenged stereotypes about race and femininity, and she was associated with the Black Arts Movement in the 1970s.
Her broad artistic practice and visual storytelling made her one of the leading figures in contemporary American art.