July 24, 2025The artist Amy Sherald has canceled a major exhibition of her work at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, citing censorship over one of her paintings depicting the Statue of Liberty modeled after a transgender artist.Sherald, who reached national fame for her official portrait of Michelle Obama in 2018, has since become one of the most prominent living American painters for her vibrant portraits of Black life, portrayed in grisaille, or gray tones, against expanses of blue.Her mid-career survey “American Sublime,” which was set to go on view at the National Portrait Gallery in September, has traveled around the country, debuting at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art before stopping at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where it is currently on view. At the Whitney, the artist Arewà Basit, after whom the painting “Trans Forming Liberty” is modeled, appeared at the opening party to take pictures with Sherald in front of the monumental artwork.
But there is a snag, in her works there is a painting of a trans woman... WHOA!
In a statement, Sherald said she was informed by the National Portrait Gallery that the museum that “concerns had been raised internally” about the painting.“These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition,” she continued. “While no single person is to blame, it is clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role.”
So she did the right thing... all or nothing! She chose nothing!
I say other artist should boycott Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery until stop the discrimination and fire Trump appointed Board members!
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