Amy Sherald Addresses Cancellation of Her Smithsonian Exhibition

Amy Sherald Cancels Smithsonian Show Over Censorship Concerns

Amy Sherald recently withdrew her exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG), highlighting concerns over censorship at the institution. Known for painting former First Lady Michelle Obama, Sherald wrote an opinion piece for MSNBC, criticizing the Trump administration’s influence on the Smithsonian. She claimed that this interference could “rewrite” history, with governments controlling museums essentially policing imagination.

Sherald cancelled her touring show, “Amy Sherald: American Sublime,” in July after learning about the potential removal of her painting “Trans Forming Liberty” (2024) by the institution. The artwork, depicting the Statue of Liberty as a Black trans woman and modeled after drag performer Arewà Basit, appeared on the New Yorker cover earlier this month.

The painting was included in a 26-item list of artworks targeted by the White House shortly after the administration demanded “content corrections” from the Smithsonian. Sherald emphasized that anonymous fear and political hostility towards trans lives influenced the situation. She stated, “This painting exists to hold space for someone whose humanity has been politicized and disregarded.”

Sherald’s essay references historical political interference at the Smithsonian, including Jim Crow segregation under President Woodrow Wilson and the Catholic League’s campaign leading to the removal of David Wojnarowicz’s video at the NPG. She cited Philippe de Montebello: “A museum is the memory of mankind,” noting that controlling museum content manipulates perceptions of identity and future understanding.