Amy Sherald Cancels Major Smithsonian Show Over Censorship Concerns

Summary

• Acclaimed artist Amy Sherald withdraws her upcoming solo exhibition, American Sublime, from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery after discussions surrounding her 2024 work of a transgender woman provoking President Trump.
• The artist cites the “culture of censorship” and the “broader climate of political hostility” as reasons behind her decision.

Amy Sherald, the artist behind the iconic 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama, has pulled her upcoming solo exhibition, American Sublime, from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, citing concerns over potential censorship and political pressures linked to the Trump administration’s growing influence over the institution.

According to the New York Times, the decision follows reports of internal discussions of the museum removing of “Trans Forming Liberty” (2024) from the show in order to “avoid provoking President Trump.” The painting depicts a transgender woman holding a torch in the pose of the Statue of Liberty.

“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 expressed in a letter sent to Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian. “Unfortunately, it has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived.”

Earlier this week, Sherald mentioned that Bunch proposed replacing “Trans Forming Liberty” (2024) with a video of visitors reacting to the work and “discussing transgender issues” to “contextualize” the painting in question. She remained steadfast in her decision: “The video would have opened up for debate the value of trans visibility and I was opposed to that being a part of the American Sublime narrative.”

Following highly praised runs at the Whitney Museum and SFMOMA, American Sublime was slated to open at the Smithsonian in September and would have marked the Portrait Gallery’s first solo show by a contemporary Black artists. The exhibition spotlights the beauty and depth of Black American life through Sherald’s rich portraiture, including her beloved paintings of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor.

“It’s clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role,” she added. “I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities.”

The withdrawal comes as the Smithsonian faces heightened political scrutiny from President Trump, who in March issued an executive order coming after the institution’s gender and “race-centered ideology.”

Sherald confirmed the cancellation of American Sublime via a repost on her Instagram story on July 24. In her interview with the Times she stated,“At a time when transgender people are being legislated against, silenced and endangered across our nation, silence is not an option.”