The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has announced that the traveling exhibition Amy Sherald: American Sublime has achieved record-breaking attendance since its opening last November. As of February 9, attendance reached 63,000, with expectations to surpass 75,000 visitors by the exhibition’s conclusion on April 5. This makes it the most attended show at the BMA since 2000, an impressive accomplishment considering the museum was not originally on the exhibition’s tour.
The exhibition, featuring nearly 50 contemplative grisaille portraits of Black Americans, began at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in November 2024. It later moved to the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan from April to August 2025, marking Sherald’s first solo show at a New York museum. Hyperallergic reached out to both SFMOMA and the Whitney for their attendance numbers.
Following the Whitney, the exhibition was set to appear at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, last September. However, Sherald canceled this leg in July due to concerns over censorship involving her work “Trans Forming Liberty,” which portrays Arewà Basit as Lady Liberty. Discussions about adding a video of visitor reactions led Sherald to withdraw, believing it compromised the work’s integrity.
After the Smithsonian withdrawal, the BMA hosted the exhibition, having already planned to honor Sherald, an alum of the Maryland Institute College of Art. A museum survey indicated that 85% of attendees were Maryland residents, with nearly a quarter visiting the museum for the first time. Visitors from 35 states and some international attendees also viewed the exhibition, with 30% under 50 years old and 47% spending over two hours exploring the show.
BMA Director Asma Naeem expressed how the exhibition resonated deeply with visitors, highlighting Sherald’s impact and the power of art to foster connection. Naeem noted, “Amy’s paintings imagine an everyday life centering Blackness and honor the dignity of Black communities.” The final stop for the exhibition will be at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta from May 15 to September 27.
