Contemporary artist Betye Saar has shaped the development of assemblage art in the United States, particularly as a device to illuminate social and political concerns. A key figure in the Black Arts Movement and the feminist art movement of the 1960-70s, Saar’s distinct vision harmonizes the personal and the political. Over the years, Saar has transformed the representation of African Americans in American culture by recycling and reclaiming derogatory images such as Aunt Jemimas, Uncle Toms, sambos, and mammies to confront the continued racism in American society and create representations of strength and perseverance. This exhibition focuses on one facet of her work—washboards—created between 1997 and 2017.
Tue - Thu, & Sat 10am - 6pm
Fri 10am - 8pm
Sun 11am - 5pm
Mon CLOSED
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
(at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street)
New York, NY
40.7792476, -73.9742792
Betye Saar: Keepin’ It Clean
