When Amy Sherald, the artist who painted Michelle Obama’s official portrait, withdrew her solo show from the National Portrait Gallery on July 24 citing censorship, it sent ripples through the art community.

The decision, by a high-profile artist, came as the Trump administration has railed against “wokeness” in federally funded museums and cut funding for local cultural institutions across the country, putting artists and their work in the spotlight.

Ms. Sherald said she was told there were discussions about removing one of her pieces from the exhibition – a painting that depicts a transgender woman as the Statue of Liberty. According to a statement obtained by the New York Times, Ms. Sherald said the Smithsonian had proposed replacing the piece with a video of people discussing it, whi

See Full Page