The Betye Saar Art Box

The Betye Saar Art Box is a collaboration between five museums in Los Angeles: The Autry Museum of the American West; the California African American Museum (CAAM); the Hammer Museum; The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

The goal of this project is to celebrate the artistic legacy of Betye Saar by learning about her work across these museums' collections and to inspire families to make art together.

About Betye Saar

Betye Saar was born in 1926 and raised in Los Angeles. Saar has made significant contributions to the history of American art, and she continues to produce powerful artwork today. She makes art with a range of materials and is most known for combining everyday objects to create new meanings.

This short documentary film explores artist Betye Saar’s process of creating "Drifting Toward Twilight," a site-specific installation at The Huntington, and her recollections of her life and career.

Saar’s African, Irish, and Native American heritage has influenced her work in many ways, as have the creative communities in which she has participated, including design, craft, theater, Black art, and women’s art. Her work explores topics like racial injustice and social inequality as well as mysticism, nature, and family. In Saar’s words, it is her goal as an artist to “create works that expose injustice and reveal beauty.”

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Explore the five activities and artworks individually.

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