National Gallery of Art presents 'Dear America' exhibition with 95 artists for US 250th anniversary

The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC has launched 'Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience,' an exhibition featuring over 100 works on paper by 95 artists from its permanent collection. Curated around three themes—land, community, and freedom—the show juxtaposes historical and contemporary perspectives on American identity. Works include Roy Lichtenstein's 1982 'I Love Liberty,' Gordon Parks's 'American Gothic' photograph of Ella Watson, and Carrie Mae Weems's 2014 tribute to Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial. E Carmen Ramos, the gallery's chief curatorial and conservation officer, describes the exhibition as an 'open letter to the nation' that presents America as 'a living idea shaped by many voices.' The display contrasts Richard Avedon's 1976 'The Family' portraits of political elites with John Wilson's tender 1970s sketches of teenagers. Other highlights include Tom Jones's 2002 mixed-media piece 'Dear America,' which inspired the exhibition title, and Faith Ringgold's 2007 screenprints illustrating Martin Luther King's 'Letter from Birmingham Jail.' The exhibition runs until 20 September in the National Gallery's West Building.