6 Artful Ways to Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary
As the semiquincentennial nears, the nation’s history is on view everywhere you turn
As America prepares to mark its semiquincentennial, there is no shortage of ways to celebrate the red, white, and blue. From historic hotels and restaurants planning patriotic activations to iconic American labels rolling out special edition capsule collections, the nation’s legacy is on view everywhere you turn. Museums are also marking the moment, with major exhibitions and installations focused on freedom and the heroes of our nation’s past.
Below, find six artful ways to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
1. “Arc of Promise” Exhibition at Woodmere, Philadelphia
This month, Woodmere opened a landmark exhibition that explores how Philadelphia’s artists have historically envisioned America. Featuring work largely from Woodmere’s permanent collection, the “Arc of Promise” brings together works from the 1790s through today, including flags, paintings, maps, sculptures, and more. At the heart of the exhibition is Henry Bermudez’s Miss America (2019), which offered a layered vision of America through themes of migration, mythology, and identity. Bermudez’s work is juxtaposed with Hiram Powers’ America, a marble bust that portrays 19th-century America as a Greek goddess.
“Arc of Promise” is on view through November 8
2. A Concert Series at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
Beginning June 28, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts will host a series of five concerts to commemorate America 250 on its 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands. The lineup, which includes a performance by The Knights and Pianist Conrad Tao, Poiesis Quartet, Centennial Celebration of Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five, Pops, Patriots, and Fireworks, and Violinist Johnny Gandelsman, also includes the premiere of two new works commissioned by Caramoor that mark the momentous occasion. “I’ve come to think of [This is America] as an anthology, a snapshot in time, documenting a tiny slice of the creative thought and output in this country,” says violinist Johnny Gandelsman, who will close the series on July 5. “Six years have passed, yet the works which encapsulated moments of 2020 are still relevant today. I invite you to stop listening to pundits, extend your ears, open up your imagination, and trust the music to guide you into a complicated, challenging, and thrilling sound world.”
Caramoor’s America 250 Schedule runs at select times June 28 through July 5
3. “Drawing America: US@250” at the Brooklyn Museum
At the Brooklyn Museum, “Drawing America: US@250” comprises a series of exhibitions, installations, and programming honoring the heroes who have fought for equality throughout the nation’s history. “Common Sense” presents two texts by American statesman, abolitionist, and philosopher Thomas Paine, alongside contemporary works by artists Donald Moffett and Maynard Monroe, and additional pieces by Paul Ramírez Jonas, Öyvind Fahlström, Charles Gaines, Jason Kao Hwang, Joyce Kozloff, Hank Willis Thomas, and Kara Walker. “Donald Moffett: IMPEACH,” is a sound installation featuring a 1998 speech by U.S. Rep. John Lewis. In the lobby, “What Season is it, America?,” featuring poetry and images by Keith Yamashita, invites visitors to reflect on the nation’s future. “Free Speech Factory Outlet” by Stephen Powers features special-edition signs designed by the artist, while weekend programming celebrates Pride and Caribbean Heritage. A summer jazz series explores one of the nation’s most influential art forms, and still, there’s more to explore.
“Drawing America: US@250” is on view through November, with programming available on select dates in June, July ,and August
4. “Revolutionary Women” at The New York Historical
In the Joyce B. Women’s History Gallery, “Revolutionary Women” draws on extensive research of letters, financial ledgers, and archaeological artifacts to highlight the lives of women who helped define the American experiment, including Abigail Adams, Deborah Sampson, Phillis Wheatley Peters, Margaret Corbin, and others. “To understand the history of our nation, we must look at what is revealed in the margins of the traditional narrative,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical. “This exhibition moves past symbolism to center the real expertise and labor of women who navigated a world of blurred allegiances to help found the United States. By unearthing these hidden contributions, we hope to shift how the American Revolution is understood for generations to come.”
“Revolutionary Women” is on view through October 25
5. “Diplomacy at Home: The Domestic Lives of the Founding Fathers” at Katonah Art Museum
John Jay Homestead has launched a year of dedicated programming to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, including an exhibition at Katonah Art Museum that examines the personal lives of the nation’s founders through objects found in their homes. “Diplomacy at Home: The Domestic Lives of the Founding Families,” includes personal objects, fine art, and furniture linked to John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, Robert and Edward Livingston, and others. Additionally, the Friends of the John Jay Homestead are presenting “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy,” a traveling exhibition that explores the impact of the Declaration of Independence. And at Bedford Historical Hall, Friends of John Jay Homestead, with support from Bedford Historical Society, Lil Horn LLC, and Katonah Classic Stage, performances of 1776 are taking on select dates through June 28.
“Diplomacy at Home: The Domestic Lives of the Founding Fathers” is on view through October 4
6. “Mary Whyte: Salt of the Earth” at Gibbes Museum of Art
At The Gibbes Museum of Art, “Mary Whyte: Salt of the Earth” marks the nation’s semiquincentennial with the artist’s expressive, large-scale watercolors of contemporary Americans. The 26 portraits will be showcased alongside the world premiere of Whyte’s The Life Series. Whyte, who lives in Charleston, will also produce site-specific drawings directly on the walls next to The Life Series. “Real America, the one built on the scaffolding of freedom, is still made up of a ragtag band of ordinary people with extraordinary grit,” says Whyte, in the exhibition catalogue. “The people I most often portray are not celebrities, influencers, or policymakers. They are the folks simply going about the business of life. Each person brings with them a unique family story—along with the aspirations and hope that one day this promise of a better life will belong to their grandchildren. I have witnessed this dream over and over again, in the people I paint.”
“Mary Whyte: Salt of the Earth” is on view through September 27