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Amy Sherald’s ‘American Sublime’ to Open Nov. 2 at Baltimore Museum After Smithsonian Withdrawal

The BMA reports brisk ticket sales following its decision to present the full survey including ‘Trans Forming Liberty’.

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“Amy Sherald: American Sublime” opens Nov. 2 at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Sherald, the artist who painted the official portrait of Michelle Obama, recently pulled her planned solo show from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery because she feared that “Trans Forming Liberty,” a painting of a trans woman posed as the Statue of Liberty, would be censored. (Kim Hairston/staff)
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Overview

  • Amy Sherald canceled the National Portrait Gallery presentation over the summer, citing potential censorship and saying any added framing of the trans portrait would have been unacceptable.
  • The Baltimore Museum of Art mounted the exhibition on an accelerated schedule of about two months, a process staff said normally takes years.
  • The survey comprises roughly 38 portraits spanning 2007 to the present, featuring works of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, with many paintings made in Baltimore and depicting local residents.
  • The BMA show is ticketed, runs through April 5, 2026, and features opening-day community programming on Nov. 2 with additional events scheduled through December.
  • Sherald’s trans portrait drew national attention after a White House article criticized the work, and she noted the National Portrait Gallery has been closed for nearly a month due to the federal shutdown.