Hyperallergic presents a guide to 25 art exhibitions and projects across the United States that reframe and challenge the story of the nation on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. The article highlights shows such as Rosy Simas's Indigenous survivance-focused exhibition at the Walker Art Center, a survey of women artists from 1945-1979 at Eric Firestone Gallery, and an exhibition of rare manuscripts at Gilcrease Museum examining Native American nations' role in the country's founding, among others.
This article matters because it reframes a major national milestone—the US semiquincentennial—as an opportunity for critical reflection rather than simple celebration. By centering Indigenous perspectives, women artists, and complex histories, the guide underscores how visual art can document, challenge, and help build a more inclusive future, offering a counternarrative to dominant patriotic discourse.