8 Art Books Reframe America's 250th Anniversary

Hyperallergic's associate editor Lakshmi Rivera Amin curates eight art books that critically examine U.S. history during the America 250 celebrations. The list includes 'Declaration House' (edited by Anna Arabindan-Kesson, Paul M. Farber, Yolanda Wisher, Temple University Press, July 2026), which centers enslaved people in the Declaration of Independence story; 'MONUMENTS' (edited by Hannah Burstein and Hamza Walker, Delmonico Books, June 2026), catalog for the MOCA LA exhibition probing monumental sculpture and slavery; Keisha Scarville's 'Passports' (MACK, May 2026), reworking her father's passport photo; Matthew Davis's 'A Biography of a Mountain' (St. Martin's Press, November 2025), on Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills; Betty Yu's 'Family Amnesia' (Daylight Books, July 2025), combining family photos and historical ephemera; Lauren O'Neill-Butler's 'The War of Art' (Verso, June 2025), on artists' protest in America; Anderson Zaca's 'Fire Island Invasion: Day of Independence' (Damiani Books, May 2025), documenting drag queens' Fourth of July tradition; and 'An Indigenous Present' (edited by Jeffrey Gibson, Delmonico Books and BIG NDN Press, August 2023), showcasing contemporary Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, and First Nations artists. The books collectively challenge official narratives and highlight marginalized histories.