Amy Sherald has canceled her planned exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and will instead bring her paintings to the Baltimore Museum of Art. The decision follows a period of reflection and logistical challenges, with the Baltimore venue offering a more intimate and locally resonant setting for her work.
This shift matters because Sherald is one of the most prominent contemporary American portraitists, best known for her official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Moving the show to Baltimore, where Sherald is based, underscores a growing trend of artists asserting greater control over where and how their work is exhibited, and highlights the importance of regional museums in hosting major contemporary art presentations.