San José Museum of Art

See what you think.

Family Legacies: The Art of Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar

  • A clay model of a Black woman with her chest cut open to reveal a light as if inside a cave. The woman has her hands covering her ears. It looks like she is trying to keep the noise out to keep the flame in her heart alive.

    Alison Saar, Sapphire, 1985. Wood and mixed media, 28 x 31 x 10 inches. Gai Gherardi and Rhonda Saboff.

  • A dark wooden cabinet door with smaller panels above a bigger one that takes up half the space. In the larger panel, a painting of a Black girl looks out a window with the above panels depicting what she sees: the moons, stars, other kids, lion, love…

    Betye Saar, Black Girl's Window, 1969 Mixed media assemblage, 35 1/4 x 18 x 1 ½ in. Collection of the artist.

  • Lezley Saar, Whiteface, 1997. Acrylic and mixed media, 32 x 17 x 4 inches. Collection of the artist.

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    Family Legacies was the first exhibition to examine the artwork of the talented Saar family: Betye Saar and her daughters Lezley and Alison Saar. The exhibition featured nearly 50 artworks, including mixed-media sculptures, assemblages, collages, and a collaborative installation created by the three artists.

    SJMA would like to thank the Farrington Historical Foundation, Sobrato Family Foundation, and the City of San Jose for their support of this exhibition.

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