"At a moment when global progress demands bold and decisive action, the 2026 Women of the Year remind us that individual leadership remains one of the most powerful catalysts for change. Sherald is best known for her official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama, renowned for her signature combination of grisaille skin tones and colorful, fashionable attire."
"At issue was her monumental painting Trans Forming Liberty (2024), featuring a Black transgender woman in a pose inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Sherald claimed the museum, bowing to anti-trans views in the White House, wanted to replace the work with a video of people talking about trans issues. (Trump later included the painting on a list of things at the Smithsonian he found offensive.)"
Amy Sherald, renowned for her official portrait of Michelle Obama, was named one of TIME magazine's 2026 Women of the Year for her leadership in advancing equity. Sherald made headlines by pulling her blockbuster exhibition "American Sublime" from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., after the museum sought to modify the presentation of her painting "Trans Forming Liberty," which depicts a Black transgender woman inspired by the Statue of Liberty. The museum proposed adding a video providing context, though it would have included anti-trans perspectives. Rather than accept the alteration, Sherald withdrew the show entirely. The Baltimore Museum of Art subsequently hosted the exhibition at the last minute, where it achieved record attendance, demonstrating public support for Sherald's principled stand against censorship.
#censorship-and-artistic-freedom #lgbtq-representation-in-art #museum-politics #amy-sherald #women-leadership
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