The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will host Amy Sherald's exhibition "American Sublime," which was originally scheduled to open at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery on September 19. Sherald canceled the Smithsonian showing in July after learning the institution planned to remove her 2024 painting "Trans Forming Liberty," which depicts a transgender Statue of Liberty, to avoid provoking President Donald Trump, replacing it with a video instead. The exhibition, featuring about fifty works, had previously traveled from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
This move matters because it highlights a growing tension between museums and political pressures, as Sherald's decision to pull her show from a national institution underscores the ongoing debate over censorship and LGBTQ+ visibility in the arts. By hosting the exhibition, the BMA reaffirms its commitment to supporting controversial and inclusive art, while also honoring Sherald's deep ties to Baltimore, where she studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art and served as a board member. The show is slated to open at the BMA in November, marking a significant moment for both the artist and the city.