Betye Saar Promises Black Doll Collection to New-York Historical Society at 100

Assemblage artist Betye Saar, turning 100, is donating her collection of Black dolls to the New-York Historical Society. Saar has been collecting ephemera since the 1970s, transforming found objects into works that subvert racist imagery, beginning with 'The Liberation of Aunt Jemima' (1972). The gift coincides with her birthday. Separately, the Venice Biennale features strong performance works, including Florentina Holzinger's Austrian pavilion and Miet Warlop's Belgian pavilion, reviewed by critic Eurídice Arratia. The Biennale has been marked by the death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh in May 2025, canceled pavilions, boycotts over Israel and Russia, and the jury's resignation. At the Drawing Center, 'Ceija Stojka: Making Visible' presents over 50 works by the self-taught Romani artist, whose memoirs were posthumously translated in 2022. The Peabody Essex Museum holds 'Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone,' the first major retrospective of the Black and Indigenous sculptor, born in Greenbush, New York in 1844 and died in London in 1907. At MFA Boston, Xandra Ibarra's 'Nude Laughing' performance addresses consent and art history. ArtPhilly's 'What Now: 2026' festival features over 30 commissioned works by Philadelphia artists.