Sara Mazo Kuniyoshi

Sara Mazo Kuniyoshi (July 4, 1910 – November 6, 2006) was an American dancer, actress, and museum professional. Born in New York City, she began dance training as a schoolgirl with support from philanthropists Irene and Alice Lewisohn. Her career in the performing arts included starring in *Strike* in Provincetown (1933) and appearing in Broadway shows such as *Ziegfeld Follies* (1934) and *Calling All Stars* (1934-1935) as a member of the Sara Mildred Strauss Dancers. She retired from performing after her marriage to Japanese-born artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi in 1935 but continued writing for New York publications in the late 1930s. During and after World War II, Mazo transitioned to a career at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where she served as assistant curator of museum collections until her retirement in 1975. She was deeply involved in preserving her husband’s artistic legacy, often interviewed about his work and participating in exhibitions. In 1975, she attended an opening reception for Kuniyoshi’s work at the Harry Ransom Center in Texas. Mazo also donated materials to cultural institutions: photographs by Kuniyoshi to the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography (1987) and a collection of children’s WPA-era art to the Children’s Museum of the Arts in the 1990s. Sara Mazo Kuniyoshi outlived her husband, who died in 1953, by over five decades. She passed away at age 94 in 2006. Her contributions include an oral history interview with MoMA (1993) and being a guest of honor at the Woodstock Beaux Arts Ball (2003). ...