Betye Saar, born in Los Angeles, California, graduated from the University of California and continued her graduate studies at California State University at Long Beach, the University of Southern California, and California State University at Northridge. Saar is best known for her multimedia collages, box assemblages, altars, and installations consisting of found materials. She states: “I am intrigued with combining the remnant of memories, fragments of relics and ordinary objects, with the components of technology. It’s a way of delving into the past and reaching into the future simultaneously.” In her work, Saar voices her political, racial, religious and gender concerns in an effort to “reach across the barriers of art and life, to bridge cultural diversities and forge new understandings.” Saar has received numerous awards of distinction including two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships (1974, 1984), a J. Paul Getty Fund for the Visual Arts Fellowship (1990), and a Flintridge Foundation Visual Artists Award (1998). In 1994, Saar, along with artist John Otterbridge, represented the United States at the 22nd Biennial of Sao Paulo in Brazil. In 1998 with the series Workers + Warriors, Saar returned to the image of Aunt Jemima, a theme explored in her celebrated 1972 assemblage, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima. In her most recent series, Colored: Consider the Rainbow, Saar continues to deconstruct racial stereotypes, in particular, the hierarchy of skin color. A role model for generations of African American women, Saar has raised three daughters, two of whom - Alison and Lezley - are accomplished artists. Saar continues to work and live in Los Angeles.