Hyperallergic In Memoriam: Betye Saar, Betelhem Makonnen, Keith A. Morrison, and Others
In its In Memoriam section, Hyperallergic pays tribute to nine notable individuals from the art community. Betye Saar (1926–2026), an influential assemblage artist, passed away at the age of 99; her 1972 piece "The Liberation of Aunt Jemima" is recognized for initiating the Black Women's Movement. Betelhem Makonnen (1972–2026), who taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was a co-founder of the Addis Video Art Festival. Keith A. Morrison (1942–2026) became the first Black academic dean at a predominantly White art institution when he joined the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993. Other notable losses include British painter Jenny Birchall (1948–2026), curator Richard Edgcumbe (1951–2026), gallerist Joseph A. Helman (1937–2026), conservationist Guy Tudor (1934–2026), and scholar Martie Wing Young (1930–2026).
Key facts
- Betye Saar died at 99; her 1972 work 'The Liberation of Aunt Jemima' launched the Black Women's Movement per Angela Davis.
- Betelhem Makonnen (1972–2026) explored diasporic consciousness; co-founded Addis Video Art Festival and Black Mountain Project.
- Keith A. Morrison (1942–2026) was first Black academic dean of art at a predominantly White US art school in 1993.
- Morrison's works held by Philadelphia Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
- Richard Edgcumbe acquired a sapphire-and-diamond coronet designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1840.
- Joseph A. Helman opened his gallery in St. Louis in 1968 and co-founded Blum Helman in 1973.
- Guy Tudor received a MacArthur Award in 1990 for bird illustrations.
- Martie Wing Young was key in creating Cornell's Johnson Museum of Art and commissioning I. M. Pei.
Entities
Artists
- Betye Saar
- Betelhem Makonnen
- Keith A. Morrison
- Jenny Birchall
- Richard Edgcumbe
- Joseph A. Helman
- Guy Tudor
- Martie Wing Young
- Richard Serra
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Frank Stella
- Allan Kaprow
- Irving Blum
- Prince Albert
- Queen Victoria
- Angela Davis
- I. M. Pei
- Billie Anania
- David Sprague
- Lisa Yin Zhang
- Tricia Topping
- Don Riepe
- Robert Barker
Institutions
- Hyperallergic
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Addis Video Art Festival
- Black Mountain Project
- Contemporary Austin
- Visual Arts Center at the University of Texas at Austin
- Blanton Museum
- Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery
- National Museum of Wales
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Blum Helman
- Tyler School of Art and Architecture
- Temple University
- San Francisco Art Institute
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- National Gallery of Art
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Cornell University
- Johnson Museum of Art
- MacArthur Foundation
- Roberts Projects
Locations
- Los Angeles
- St. Louis
- Austin
- Texas
- Chicago
- Cornwall
- England
- London
- Peterborough
- Cardiff
- Wales
- United States
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- South America