An exhibition at the New York Historical celebrates Betye Saar’s promised gift of her collection of over 100 Black dolls to the institution, coinciding with her upcoming 100th birthday. The show, on view through October 4, features dolls alongside Saar’s paintings, prints, and sculptures, including works like “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima” (1972) and “Indigo Mercy” (1975). Saar began collecting Black dolls in 1949 and has incorporated them into her art since the 1970s, using watercolors during the COVID-19 pandemic to reimagine them in mystical scenes.
This exhibition matters because it highlights Saar’s lifelong practice of transforming racist artifacts and stereotypes into empowering art. By donating her cherished doll collection, she ensures these objects—which carry histories of both childhood love and racial caricature—are preserved and reinterpreted in an institutional context. The show underscores how Saar’s work reclaims negative imagery, offering a potent commentary on race, history, and the power of assemblage art.