Renowned artist Amy Sherald's major exhibition "American Sublime" will open at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in November, following the artist's decision to cancel the show at the Smithsonian Institution in July due to censorship concerns. The exhibition represents one of the largest and most comprehensive presentations of Sherald's work to date, featuring approximately 50 pieces by the acclaimed painter.
"Presenting American Sublime at the BMA is a celebration of our creative community and a joyful reunion with those shaped by Amy's extraordinary power to connect," said BMA museum director Asma Naeem in a statement. "We're thrilled to share her transformational work with our visitors." The show will serve as a homecoming for Sherald, who attended the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and spent a significant portion of her career in Baltimore.
Sherald expressed her emotional connection to the city, stating, "Baltimore has always been part of my DNA as an artist. Every brushstroke carries a little of its history, its energy, its people, and my time there. To bring this exhibition here is to return that love." The artist's work was previously acquired by the BMA, and she formerly served on the museum's board, strengthening her ties to the institution.
The artist gained widespread recognition in 2018 with her official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Today, Sherald is best known for her contemplative pastel renderings of Black Americans that blend melancholy and joy while addressing the political realities of American life. Her distinctive artistic style has made her one of the most prominent contemporary artists working today.
"American Sublime" was originally organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and subsequently traveled to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where it remained on view through August 10. The planned iteration at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery would have been historic, marking the first solo presentation of its kind by a Black contemporary artist at the prestigious institution.
However, Sherald chose to cancel the Smithsonian exhibition in July after the museum considered removing her painting depicting a Black transgender Statue of Liberty, according to reports by the New York Times. The institution reportedly wanted to replace the artwork with a video featuring reactions and discussions about transgender issues. Sherald objected to this proposal over concerns that the video would include anti-transgender viewpoints.
A Smithsonian spokesperson later clarified to the Washington Post that Lonnie G. Bunch III, the secretary of the Smithsonian who oversees the Portrait Gallery, intended for the video to accompany the painting rather than replace it. The museum also reportedly offered to provide additional context for Sherald's work, but the artist ultimately decided to withdraw the exhibition entirely.
Last month, Sherald published a powerful op-ed article addressing what she described as government censorship at the Smithsonian. In the piece, she warned about the dangers of political interference in cultural institutions. "Museums are not stages for loyalty. They are civic laboratories," she wrote. "They are places where we wrestle with contradictions, encounter the unfamiliar and widen our circle of empathy. But only if they remain free."
Sherald continued her critique, stating, "If they do not, we lose more than exhibitions. We lose the public spaces where imagination takes a stand against power. And when that happens, the stories we inherit and the futures we can envision will no longer be our own." Her words highlighted the broader implications of censorship in cultural institutions and the importance of artistic freedom.
The controversy surrounding Sherald's exhibition occurred within a larger context of political pressure on the Smithsonian Institution. A couple of weeks before Sherald officially canceled her show, reports emerged that Smithsonian exhibitions would undergo review by the White House. The administration claimed that the institution's shows had "skewed too far from the greatness of our nation or the millions of Americans who have contributed to its progress" and should instead "celebrate American exceptionalism."
The White House subsequently released a list specifically targeting certain artworks housed within the Smithsonian. This unprecedented move raised concerns among artists, curators, and cultural advocates about the independence of America's premier cultural institution. The situation led to weeks of speculation about how the Smithsonian would respond to the political pressure.
Following a lunch meeting between Bunch and President Donald Trump, the Smithsonian secretary announced in a letter to staff on Wednesday that the institution had assembled a team to review materials for potential handover to the White House. Despite this compliance, Bunch emphasized that the Smithsonian remains independent, though the institution receives approximately two-thirds of its $1 billion annual budget from the federal government while not being considered a federal entity.
The relocation of "American Sublime" to the Baltimore Museum of Art represents not only a victory for artistic freedom but also a meaningful return for Sherald to the city that helped shape her artistic identity. The November opening will allow visitors to experience the full scope of her transformational work without the constraints of political interference that plagued the Smithsonian presentation.
