PREVIEW

Statue of Liberty Reimagined Sparks US Culture Clash. The Statue of Liberty — a symbol long debated since its unveiling in 1886 — is once again at the center of America’s culture wars. A new painting by acclaimed artist Amy Sherald, Trans Forming Liberty, reimagines Lady Liberty as a Black transgender woman. Originally set for display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the work was pulled after concerns it might conflict with President Trump’s recent executive order, restricting federally funded art that officials say “divides Americans.”. Sherald, best known for her portrait of Michelle Obama, withdrew her exhibition in protest, calling it “a culture of censorship.” The painting, now on view at New York’s Whitney Museum, replaces the statue’s torch with Gerbera daisies — a quiet nod to hope and subversion. Like the statue itself, Sherald’s work forces Americans to confront what liberty means, and who it truly represents.
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