Image: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, What is an American?, 2003. Princeton University Art Museum. Promised gift of Dr. Ferris Olin. © Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Photo: Joseph Hu
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, "What is an American?": Artists Reflect at the Princeton University Art Museum brings together works on paper that grapple with questions of American identity. The exhibition is curated by Jun Nakamura, assistant curator of prints and drawings, and remains on view through November 8.
Its title is borrowed from a large print by the Native American artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, What is an American? (2003), a promised gift to the museum from Dr. Ferris Olin. From that starting point, the exhibition considers how ideas of "Americanness" — and the rights and privileges entailed in them — have been imposed, argued over and redefined since the nation's founding.
The selection is drawn from art of the past century. Many of the works 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. Taken together, the museum says, the works demonstrate that the question posed by the title has never been straightforward, and they invite visitors to consider its many possible answers.
The exhibition is part of Re-visioning America, a collaborative, community-based initiative organized to mark the nation's semiquincentennial, whose exhibitions explore questions of identity, belonging, protest and cultural resilience. The museum has also brought Princeton University faculty into the conversation: a panel discussing works on view gathers Monica Bravo, assistant professor of art and archaeology; J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Professor of Indigenous Studies; and Joshua Guild, associate professor of African American studies, with Nakamura as moderator.
