Amy Sherald: American Sublime traces the evolution of the artist, a defining voice of her generation who transformed American portraiture.

“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.

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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.