Museum of Fine Arts Boston Reimagines America on Its 250th Birthday
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston unveiled “Art of the Americas: 1700–1800” during its annual Juneteenth open house, marking the first reinstallation of the Art of the Americas Wing’s ground-level galleries. The rehang includes more than 400 objects spanning North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and global connections to the 18th-century Americas, organized into eight themed sections. Croll Senior Curator Erica Hirshler said the previous installation felt “dated,” and the new display emphasizes broader narratives of “Power and Resistance,” pairing works such as Paul Revere’s “Sons of Liberty Bowl” (1768) with ceramics by enslaved poet-potter David Drake. Highlights include Alan Michelson’s Mohawk-made silver bust of George Washington, “Hanödaga:yas (Town Destroyer): Reflect” (2024), placed near Thomas Sully’s “The Passage of the Delaware” (1819), and even a single Dunkin’ cup included in a “Something’s Brewing” section.
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