Amy Sherald canceled her exhibition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery after her painting of a transgender artist in the form of a freedom monument was threatened with censorship. American Sublime, the artist’s most comprehensive retrospective in recent years, was scheduled to open in Washington in September. The exhibition had previously been shown at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum in New York.
“Remaining Silent Is Not an Option”
In a statement, Sherald said that the National Portrait Gallery had informed her that “some concerns had been raised” within the institution, leading to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition. “I don’t think there was any individual ill will in this decision; however, it is clear that political hostility toward trans lives has shaped institutional fear,” she said.
According to a Smithsonian spokesperson, museum officials had suggested adding a video to contextualize the work rather than removing it. However, Sherald told The New York Times that the video contained anti-trans views and would open up a debate about trans visibility:
“This video would open up a debate about the value of trans visibility. I am opposed to such a narrative being part of ‘American Sublime,’” she said.
The artist’s decision is being interpreted as part of a new censorship crisis shaped by the Trump administration’s ideological interventions in cultural institutions. In March, President Trump signed an executive order requiring that exhibitions and events at the Smithsonian be purged of “narratives that portray American and Western values as harmful and oppressive.” The same executive order gave Vice President J.D. Vance the authority to deny federal funding to content that is “inconsistent with American values or divisive on the basis of race.”
In June, Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, resigned after Trump announced he was firing her. Sherald’s exhibition was set to open during this turbulent period for the gallery and included portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, as well as a painting offering a queer perspective on Alfred Eisenstaedt’s iconic VJ-Day Kiss photograph. Sherald says of Trans Forming Liberty:
“This painting exists to make room for someone who has been politicized and ignored. I cannot bow down to a culture of censorship, especially when vulnerable communities are targeted.”
The artist concludes with the following statement:
“When trans people are silenced, endangered, and deprived of their rights, remaining silent is not an option.”