Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship [View all]
Source: NYT
Amy Sherald — the artist who rocketed to fame with her 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama — has withdrawn her upcoming solo show from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery because she said she had been told the museum was considering removing her painting depicting a transgender Statue of Liberty to avoid provoking President Trump.
“American Sublime,” set to arrive at the museum in September, is a much heralded exhibition of works by Ms. Sherald and would have been the first by a Black contemporary artist at the Portrait Gallery. She is particularly known for her sensitive, serene portraits, which led to her selection by Ms. Obama. Some of her work, such as her transgender Statue of Liberty, has also been fueled by social concerns.
“I entered into this collaboration in good faith, believing that the institution shared a commitment to presenting work that reflects the full, complex truth of American life,” the artist said in a letter sent on Wednesday to Lonnie G. Bunch III, the secretary of the Smithsonian, which runs the Portrait Gallery. “Unfortunately, it has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived.’’
Ms. Sherald in a statement said she had been “informed that internal concerns had been raised” at the Portrait Gallery regarding the inclusion of her painting, “Trans Forming Liberty,” which features a transgender woman holding a torch in the posture of the Statue of Liberty.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/arts/design/amy-sherald-smithsonian-censorship.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Y08.Wq7P.vQrr0WNRL1br&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Amy Sherald says the Smithsonian suggested removing a painting of a transgender woman as the Statue of Liberty from her upcoming show at the National Portrait Gallery “to avoid provoking President Trump.†Sherald: “I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorshipâ€
— Nicole Chung (@nicolechung.bsky.social) 2025-07-24T17:06:34.124Z
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