Amy Sherald Withdraws Smithsonian Show Over Concerns of Censorship
Amy Sherald, the celebrated artist behind Michelle Obama’s iconic portrait, has cancelled her forthcoming solo exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, citing concerns over censorship. According to a report by The New York Times, Sherald said she decided after learning that the museum was considering removing her painting “Trans Forming Liberty,” which features a transgender woman in the pose of the Statue of Liberty, to avoid provoking former President Donald Trump.
“Trans Forming Liberty,” features a transgender woman in the pose of the Statue of Liberty | Photo courtesy of Amy Sherald
Sherald’s exhibition, American Sublime, was scheduled to open in September and would have marked the first solo show by a Black contemporary artist at the National Portrait Gallery. Known for her tranquil, thoughtful portrayals of American subjects, Sherald said she had entered into the collaboration “in good faith, believing that the institution shared a commitment to presenting work that reflects the full, complex truth of American life.”
American Sublime would have marked the first solo show by a Black contemporary artist at the National Portrait Gallery| Photo courtesy of Amy Sherald
However, as she wrote in a letter to Lonnie G. Bunch III, the secretary of the Smithsonian: “It has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived.”
In a public statement, Sherald further explained: “I was informed that internal concerns had been raised” regarding Trans Forming Liberty, adding that “these concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition.” She continued: “It’s clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role.”
Amy Sherald documents contemporary African American experience in the United States | Photo courtesy of Amy Sherald
The cover of the August 11, 2025, issue of The New Yorker, painted by Sherald, is a portrait of trans model and performance artist Arewà Basit, the subject of Trans Forming Liberty. The work, now on view at the Whitney Museum, had initially been slated to debut at the Smithsonian. In The New Yorker, Sherald said the painting “challenges who we allow to embody our national symbols, and who we erase,” adding: “It demands a fuller vision of freedom, one that includes the dignity of all bodies, all identities. Liberty isn’t fixed. She transforms, and so must we. This portrait is a confrontation with that truth.” The Trump White House criticized the image as “a reinterpretation of one of our nation’s most sacred symbols through a divisive and ideological lens,” according to a statement from Lindsey Halligan, a special assistant to the president. A spokesperson for the Smithsonian stated that the institution was seeking to contextualize, not remove, the painting.
The cover of the August 11, 2025, issue of The New Yorker, painted by Sherald | Photo courtesy of The New Yorker®
Sherald’s 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama remains one of the most recognized works in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. Her decision to withdraw American Sublime underscores the broader tension between artistic expression and institutional caution in today’s polarized political climate. The Smithsonian has not yet publicly responded to Sherald’s withdrawal.
Sources:
Pogrebin, Robin. “Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship.” The New York Times, July 24, 2025. “Amy Sherald’s ‘American Sublime.’” The New Yorker, August 11, 2025.