Raquelín Mendieta, the longtime administrator of the estate of her sister, artist Ana Mendieta, died on October 24 in Miami at age 79 due to a long illness. Raquelín took charge of Ana's legacy after the artist's death in 1985, organizing a retrospective at the New Museum in 1987 and partnering with Galerie Lelong in 1991 to establish a market for Ana's work. Under her stewardship, Ana's art was acquired by major museums like the Whitney Museum and included in over 600 group shows and 55 solo exhibitions, including 16 museum retrospectives.
Raquelín's role was instrumental in cementing Ana Mendieta's place in art history, transforming her from a rising star into a canonical 20th-century artist. Her efforts ensured that Ana's work reached institutional and private collections worldwide, while also navigating renewed public interest in Ana's biography and death. Raquelín's stewardship not only preserved but amplified her sister's artistic voice, making her death a significant loss for the stewardship of Ana Mendieta's legacy.