Of the People
The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence has inspired people across the country to reflect on the meaning of American democracy. The ideas that the government’s authority comes from the people who elected them and that its purpose is to serve the values and overall welfare of its people, have been embedded in the American cultural psyche for some time. As too have repeated stories of democracy that teach the American public to trust in democratic process and the justice system.
Of the People features a selection of works on paper by contemporary artists from across the United States who responded to the question: what does American Democracy mean to you? Through investigative research, consulting various formal and informal repositories of knowledge, and reflecting inwardly, this group of artists particularly consider the meaning of American democracy in the present moment.
This exhibition was juried by Visual Artist, Alex Da Corte; Senior Curator of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Amanda Sroka; and Curator of Prints and Drawings from the Princeton University Art Museum, Laura M. Giles. Together, they selected the work by artists Olga Alexander, Jamil G Baldwin, Kumasi Barnett, Megan Christiansen, Ben DuVall, Sharon Harper, Selina Lee, Huaqi Liu, Bo Kim, Meridith McNeal, Henry Rosenberg, and Kiko Thomas for this exhibition.
January 20, 2026 – March 28, 2026
Opening Reception: Of the People
Thursday, January 29, 2026
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm, Stedman Gallery
EXHIBITION GALLERY
Left to right: Olga Alexander (B. 1969, New York), Feminine Transcriptions On Democracy, 2021, Acrylic, graphite, and paper
Kumasi Barnett (B. 1974, Rhode Island), What If #44, 2024, Oil, acrylic, marker, and pen on comic books
Henry Rosenberg (B. 1997, New York), The Flight of the Mailman, 2024, Colored pencil on paper
Selina Lee (B. 1998, Texas), Flat Views, 2025, Charcoal on paper
Huaqi Liu (B. 1997, China), Cloud Series 02, 2023, Oil on paper