Creator of renowned Michelle Obama portrait pulls Smithsonian show over censorship concerns

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5418792-smithsonian-amy-sherald-cancels-show/

"......Sherald said Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III urged her to replace one of her paintings dedicated to trans visibility, titled “Trans Forming Liberty,” with a video of people’s reactions to the artwork. The piece depicts a transgender woman posing in the likeness of the Statue of Liberty.

“I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities,” Sherald said in a statement to The New York Times, which first reported the show’s cancellation.

“At a time when transgender people are being legislated against, silenced, and endangered across our nation, silence is not an option,” she added.

Sherald is well-known for her portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama, which drew more than 2 million visitors to the National Portrait Gallery in 2018 alone. "....(more)