Renowned portrait painter Amy Sherald returned to Baltimore this weekend for the opening of her major midcareer retrospective "American Sublime" at the Baltimore Museum of Art, marking a homecoming for the artist who spent 17 formative years in the city. The 52-year-old artist, best known for her portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, participated in a sold-out question-and-answer session with museum director Asma Naeem on Sunday, sharing how Baltimore transformed her from an aspiring painter into one of America's most important contemporary artists.
Sherald's connection to Baltimore began more than two decades ago when she knew nothing about Maryland. A friend from her alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, suggested the then 28-year-old aspiring painter consider the Maryland Institute College of Art for graduate school. "I was like, 'Where is Baltimore?' I had no idea," Sherald told the laughing audience on Sunday. "It was the best decision I ever made." She lived in Baltimore from 2001 to 2018, during which time she developed her distinctive artistic style and created many of the works that would establish her reputation.
The "American Sublime" exhibition, which opened to the public Sunday morning, features nearly 40 paintings that showcase Sherald's evolution as a master portraitist. Located in the BMA's Contemporary Wing, the retrospective includes her most celebrated works, such as her official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama and her powerful tribute to Breonna Taylor, the young Black woman killed by Kentucky police in 2020. The exhibition runs through April 5 and requires paid ticketed reservations, though admission is free on Thursday evenings and all day on January 15 and February 19.
The Baltimore Museum of Art's hosting of this exhibition represents a significant achievement, as it joins only the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and New York's Whitney Museum of Modern Art as American institutions to present Sherald's acclaimed retrospective. However, Baltimore was not initially planned as the exhibition's next destination. The show landed at the BMA after Sherald made headlines in July by pulling her scheduled midcareer survey from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington over potential censorship concerns regarding "Trans Forming Liberty," her portrait of transgender model Arewà Basit depicted as the Statue of Liberty.
In September, the BMA announced it would host the complete exhibition that had the art world buzzing. Leslie King-Hammond, founding director of MICA's Center for Race and Culture, captured the sentiment of many attendees when she declared to cheers, "This is where 'American Sublime' should have been all along." The enthusiasm was palpable throughout the museum, with excitement building around this major cultural event for Baltimore.
Roughly half of the portraits in the exhibition, which feature Sherald's trademark style of using grayscale for skin tones, were created in Baltimore with local residents as subjects. These include "Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)," featuring a young woman holding an oversized teacup, and "The Rabbit in the Hat," depicting a sharply dressed gentleman wearing a turquoise bow tie. These works demonstrate how Baltimore's community became integral to Sherald's artistic development and creative process.
During Sunday's conversation, Sherald made a memorable entrance, taking the stage dancing to the booming bass of Lil Wayne's "A Milli" while filming on her phone. The wide-ranging and often humorous discussion covered much ground, though notably, "Trans Forming Liberty" and her decision to pull the exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery were not addressed. For nearly an hour, Sherald shared insights about lessons she learned from artist Grace Hartigan at MICA, her process for choosing striking colors, and what draws her to the people she paints.
When asked about her selection process for portrait subjects, Sherald explained her intuitive approach: "It's facial features. It's symmetry. Sometimes it's asymmetry. Sometimes it's just an energy or a presence. Sometimes it's beauty, sometimes it's not, you know? It's a little bit of everything." This philosophy has guided her work throughout her career, leading to portraits that capture both individual personality and broader cultural significance.
The local art community has embraced Sherald's return with enthusiasm. Baltimore artist Alma Roberts noted that excitement over the arrival of "American Sublime" is palpable throughout the city. She praised Sherald not only for the amazing creativity of her artwork but also for her principled decision to remove the exhibit from Washington amid the Trump administration's criticism of "woke art." "She took a stand for the credibility of her work and the authenticity of her work – and for artists in general," Roberts said. "For that, she has soared beyond even the wonderfulness of her work."
Attendee Lisa White, a Baltimore resident who grew up in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood, expressed her anticipation for viewing the exhibit, describing Sherald's paintings as filled with life and humanity. "They are visually arresting and appealing, whether a viewer knows art history or not," White observed. "She makes it exciting. For people who really don't do well with art, one way or another, she brings them in. I love that about her." This accessibility and emotional resonance have become hallmarks of Sherald's work.
When director Naeem asked what she hopes young Black children will think and feel after seeing "American Sublime," Sherald's response was characteristically direct and heartfelt: "Just joy. That's all." This simple but profound goal reflects her commitment to representation and the power of seeing oneself reflected in fine art spaces traditionally dominated by white subjects.
Looking ahead, Sherald revealed she is working on a theater project she cannot discuss in detail, while also expressing interest in pursuing sculpture and photography. However, her passion for portraiture remains strong, and she continues to seek new subjects that spark her creativity. This search for inspiration still happens in Baltimore, as evidenced by her encounter with a woman at Mom's Organic Market last week, though she admitted to "chickening out" before making an introduction.
The artist's ongoing connection to Baltimore was evident in her closing remarks, when she mused, "I should probably just spend a month here, once a year, and just roam the streets." The immediate applause that followed served as a clear invitation that she should always feel welcome to return to the city that played such a crucial role in shaping her artistic vision and career trajectory.
