Faculty Panel
“What Is an American?”: Artists Reflect
Beuford Smith, Flag Series, 1972. Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund. © Beuford Smith
A conversation examining how works in the exhibition explore the idea of Americanness
In this in-depth conversation, Princeton University professors discuss works on view in “What Is an American?”: Artists Reflect, an exhibition that grapples with questions of American identity.
Panelists include Monica Bravo, assistant professor of art and archaeology; J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, the Eric & Wendy Schmidt Professor of Indigenous Studies; and Joshua Guild, associate professor of African American studies. Moderated by Jun Nakamura, assistant curator of prints and drawings.
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the exhibition borrows its title from a large print by the Native American artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith titled What Is an American? and addresses how ideas of “Americanness”—and the rights and privileges entailed therein—have been imposed, argued over, and redefined since the nation’s founding. Drawn from art of the past century, the exhibition includes many works that engage with acts of protest, resistance, and civic engagement, highlighting the struggles of various groups to attain equal rights and protections. Several artists invoke potent American symbols, phrases, and historical figures, while others look at how notions of Americanness can intersect with multiple cultural identities, countering narratives of a singular American experience. Together, the works demonstrate that the question of “What is an American?” has never been straightforward, and they invite visitors to consider its myriad answers.
LATE THURSDAYS! The Museum’s Late Thursdays programming is made possible in part by Heather and Paul G. Haaga Jr., Class of 1970.
