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Amy Sherald: American Sublime
Date
November 2, 2025 - April 5, 2026
Price
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“American Sublime is a salve. It’s a call to remember our shared humanity and an insistence on being seen.” —Amy Sherald
The exhibition tells the story of Sherald’s vision and practice through 38 paintings created from 2007 to the present—from her early, rarely seen works to her iconic, larger-than-life portraits of Black Americans in everyday moments, many of which were painted in Baltimore and feature Baltimore-based models.
A Baltimore Homecoming
American Sublime in Baltimore is more than an exhibition—it’s an occasion of civic pride and cultural affirmation. Sherald graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art, studying under the famed painter Grace Hartigan, and worked in Baltimore during her formative years.
“Baltimore has always been part of my DNA as an artist. Every brushstroke carries a little of its history, its energy, its people, and my time there. To bring this exhibition here is to return that love.”—Amy Sherald
Since the early 2010s, Sherald has employed a grayscale palette to render skin as a radical tool for redirection—a technique that focuses attention on the sitters’ interior lives and the stories within each painting. The BMA acquired Planes, Rockets, and the Spaces in Between in 2018 and has maintained a close relationship with the artist.
In 2016, Sherald made history as the first African American to win the grand prize in the National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition for her painting Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance). That recognition led to the commission of the official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. Both works are featured in American Sublime, among many other highlights, including the cultural touchstone commissioned for Vanity Fair, a portrait of Breonna Taylor; the triptych Ecclesia (The Meeting of Inheritance and Horizons); and the bold painting Trans Forming Liberty.
Artist Who Inspires
Just weeks after her mid-career survey opens at the BMA, Sherald received the Museum’s Artist Who Inspires award at the BMA Ball & After Party. As the Museum honors this groundbreaking artist at its annual gala, the exhibition stands as a testament to Sherald’s impact on contemporary art and her enduring connection to Baltimore. Her work speaks to the richness of the city and the resilience of its people, while affirming the Museum’s dedication to artists with deep local ties.
Watch Amy Sherald in conversation with BMA Director Asma Naeem.
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Select Artworks in this Exhibition
Archive Gallery Images
Sarah Roberts
SFMOMA’s former Andrew W. Mellon Curator and Head of Painting and Sculpture
"Amy Sherald: American Sublime is organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and curated by Sarah Roberts, SFMOMA’s former Andrew W. Mellon Curator and Head of Painting and Sculpture. The BMA’s presentation is organized by Asma Naeem, Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director, with Cecilia Wichmann, Curator and Department Head of Contemporary Art, with support from Antoinette Roberts, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, and Dylan Kaleikaumaka Hill, Meyerhoff-Becker Curatorial Fellow."
Amy Sherald: American Sublime is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.
Major support for Amy Sherald: American Sublime is provided by the Ford Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, and Hauser & Wirth.
Additional support provided by David Imre and Tom Crusse, Amy Elias and Richard Pearlstone/The Pearlstone Family Fund, Amy and Marc Meadows, Robert Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker, Katie Adams Schaeffer, Joanne Gold and Andrew Stern, Frederick Singley Koontz, Pat Lasher and Richard Jacobs, John Meyerhoff, M.D. and Lenel Srochi Meyerhoff, George Petrocheilos and Diamantis Xylas, and The Aaron Straus and Lillie Straus Foundation.
Image: Installation shots of Amy Sherald: American Sublime
Location: Contemporary Wing
American Sublime is located in the Contemporary Wing of the Baltimore Museum of Art
Accessibility
Whether you’re visiting in person or exploring from home, you’ll find accessible resources for Amy Sherald: American Sublime designed to make the exhibition welcoming to all.
In the galleries, visitors can pick up printed text or braille guides that include visual descriptions of artworks, large-print labels, and video transcriptions.
A digital version is also available at artbma.org/guides, including verbal and visual descriptions, exhibition labels, and video transcripts for select artworks.
Explore the exhibition’s audio guide on the Bloomberg Connects app, featuring insights from the artist, her models, and BMA curators.
Artwork
Catalogue
Bringing together nearly all of Amy Sherald’s artwork to date, a lavishly illustrated exhibition catalog encompasses the full arc of the artist’s career. Purchase your copy at the BMA Shop, where Members save 10% on all purchases.
