Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian art show over censorship of trans-themed painting

Artist Amy Sherald’s “American Sublime” would have been the first solo show by a contemporary Black artist at the National Portrait Gallery.

Artist Amy Sherald’s expansive new solo exhibition, which has been making the rounds in galleries across the country, will be skipping its stop in the Nation’s Capital. The artist has canceled her upcoming show at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery over censorship concerns. 

On Wednesday, after learning the institution’s plans to potentially remove a painting of hers from the exhibition depicting a transgender woman as the Statue of Liberty in her signature gray-wash set against pastel style, she canceled the exhibition altogether in a letter to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch III, the New York Times reported. 

“I entered into this collaboration in good faith, believing that the institution shared a commitment to presenting work that reflects the full, complex truth of American life,” the painter wrote in the letter. “Unfortunately, it has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived.’’

According to the Washington Post, the artist learned that museum officials had raised flags over how the painting, titled “Trans Forming Liberty,” might be received amid an increasingly politicized climate, suggesting a contextual video be added to the installation. Sherald declined. Days later, she formally withdrew the entire show, saying she could not, in “good conscience,” participate in a climate of censorship targeting trans lives.

“These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition,” Sherald said in a statement, per the New York Times. “While no single person is to blame, it’s clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role. This painting exists to hold space for someone whose humanity has been politicized and disregarded. I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities.”

She added, “At a time when transgender people are being legislated against, silenced, and endangered across our nation, silence is not an option. I stand by my work. I stand by my sitters. I stand by the truth that all people deserve to be seen—not only in life, but in art.”

Sherald, who rose to prominence for her now-iconic portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama, has built a career around centering Black life’s dignity, imagination, and vulnerability in rich hues. Her exhibition, “American Sublime,” was poised to be a historic moment for Sherald and the museum itself. It would’ve marked the first solo show by a contemporary Black artist at the Portrait Gallery and featured nearly 50 works spanning two decades of the artist’s work. 

The show kicked off its world premiere in November 2024 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) before traveling to the Whitney Museum in New York, where it is currently on view. Its Smithsonian debut this fall was meant to be a triumphant homecoming for the artist whose work helped redefine the institution’s place in American culture once upon a time. 

Instead, the cancellation has drawn attention to the deepening cultural rifts inside some of the country’s most prominent arts institutions. Though traditionally nonpartisan, the Smithsonian has been under mounting political pressure since President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March mandating federal oversight of museum content deemed “divisive.” 

The order placed Vice President J.D. Vance and senior aide Lindsey Halligan on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, giving them broad influence over programming, particularly on issues related to race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. The National Portrait Gallery’s director, Kim Sajet, resigned in June after Trump called for her firing for being “a highly partisan person.”

In a statement, a museum spokesperson said they understood but were nonetheless “disappointed,” according to NBC News. 

“The Smithsonian has a long-standing and valued relationship with artist Amy Sherald,” the spokesperson, per NBC. “We are and continue to be deeply appreciative of her and the integrity of her work. While we understand Amy’s decision to withdraw her show from the National Portrait Gallery, we are disappointed that Smithsonian audiences will not have an opportunity to experience American Sublime.”