Betye Saar Dies at 99

Daily Newsletter

The beloved artist dies just four days before her 100th birthday. Also, Trump crosses a new line in his war against the Smithsonian.

We start today with somber news: Betye Saar, the cherished assemblage artist, has passed away in Los Angeles just days shy of her 100th birthday. Associate Editor Lisa Yin Zhang has penned an obituary honoring her impactful legacy.

Meanwhile, the Smithsonian faces another round of attacks. The Trump administration has escalated its conflict with the institution by mandating signs at the National Museum of American History (NMAH) that caution visitors about “extreme political activism.” This unsettling directive is indeed a reality.

Ed Simon, in a compelling opinion piece, notes that no other president has deemed it necessary to deface taxpayer-funded museums with warnings against entry, while simultaneously promoting more politically agreeable—specifically far-right—reinterpretations of history. Additionally, Staff Writer Rhea Nayyar provides a tiered list of the most absurd questions posed to NMAH Director Anthea Hartig during a recent congressional hearing, including a query from one Republican congressman: “Is Mickey Mouse racist?”

—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief

The Smithsonian Is Not the President’s Museum

In 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was established, in the words of its benefactor and namesake, British scientist James Smithson, “for the increase & diffusion of Knowledge among men.” Today, the 21 museums centered in Washington, DC, and more than 200 affiliates throughout the United States, have indeed increased and diffused knowledge in the maintenance of an astounding 157 million objects. Along with the preservation and distribution of knowledge — never a neutral term — these museums have been the site of discourse and debate, conversation and controversy, as any indispensable cultural institution should be.

Through powerful interviews and archival insight, Black Curators Matter chronicles the voices and visionaries who reshaped American museums from the 1970s to today.

Learn more

More On the Smithsonian

News

Betye Saar dies at 99 in Los Angeles. Her visionary assemblages recast the debris of American history into monuments of Black resilience and liberation.
Elon Musk promises to use his AI platform, Grok Imagine, to create his own full-length version of The Odyssey by the end of this year.
The European Central Bank reveals 10 shortlisted design proposals for euro banknotes centered on either the theme of “European culture” or “rivers and birds” — and Leonardo da Vinci is in one of the designs.

From Our Critics

Maybe he didn’t want to sit outside for hours on end waiting for oil paints to dry, or have to cart an easel everywhere. Maybe the iPad gave him the ability to paint and create uninhibited, scrolling and creating without having to start a new painting each time, each observation stepping from one moment to the next, each season morphing into another through a digital medium other than ‘traditional’ paint. Maybe he didn’t want to create a masterpiece but to ‘paint’ using a different form of mark-making. Even with your eyes half closed, you can tell it’s work by Hockney. It’s still interesting and valid.

—Simon McClelland Morris on “You Can Love David Hockney and Still Hate His iPad Paintings”