Album Quilt (detail), 1848; American; cotton; 100 1/4 x 100 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Stratford Lee Morton 1:1973
Picturing Independence
June 12, 2026–January 24, 2027- Location
- Shoenberg Gallery 236
- Admission
- Free
Picturing Independence marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Drawn from the Museum’s collection, the exhibition brings together artworks in a variety of mediums spanning 1770 to 2017. Organized in four sections, “Revolution,” “Democracy,” “The Flag,” and “National Symbols,” the exhibition explores how artists have depicted the American Revolution, military service, and the evolving visual language of national identity.
Highlights include silver by Paul Revere; paintings by Benjamin West and George Caleb Bingham; and prints by Jacob Lawrence, Marisol, and Fritz Scholder. Taken together, the artworks featured in Picturing Independence demonstrate that the meanings of American independence are not static but are reinvented and questioned by each generation.
Picturing Independence is curated by Amy Torbert, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Associate Curator of American Art.
The exhibition is sponsored with generous support from Edward Jones. Additional support provided by Missouri Humanities.
Rembrandt Peale, American, 1778–1860; George Washington, c.1845; oil on canvas; framed: 48 5/8 x 41 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink 30:2014
School and group visits
The Saint Louis Art Museum will offer early hours for school groups to visit Picturing Independence before the Museum opens to the public. For more information transportation assistance and other details for schools, visit the school group page.
The Museum can also accommodate other groups up to 75 people at one time. Larger groups will be asked to split into different rotations. All groups, whether self-guided or led by a volunteer educator, must contact the Museum at least four weeks in advance to arrange a group visit. Please note that ticketed exhibitions have limited capacity.
Please complete this form to schedule a school or other group visit to the Saint Louis Art Museum.