For Which It Stands…
Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, this major loan exhibition at the Fairfield University Art Museum explores more than a century of artists taking on the American flag.
Featuring more than 70 works by a diverse array of artists, including June Clark, Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, David Hammons, Julie Mehretu, Dread Scott, and Hank Willis Thomas, For Which It Stands… challenges viewers to consider who the American flag truly represents, and whether justice is available to all. On view in Fairfield, Connecticut, from January 23 through July 25, the exhibition opens with Childe Hassam’s “Italian Day, May 1918” — lent by Art Bridges — and concludes with a textile sculpture newly commissioned from Maria de Los Angeles. Emma Amos, Eric Fischl, Jane Hammond, and Glenn Ligon are among the many other artists whose work is represented.
“This exhibition is an opportunity for all of us to examine the narratives that have shaped our country, particularly those that have been overlooked or challenged,” said Carey Mack Weber, executive director of the Fairfield University Art Museum and exhibition curator. “Through these artworks, we invite visitors to engage deeply with the pressing issues of justice, representation, and unity — issues that are as relevant today as they were when our nation was founded.”
This show aligns with the guiding themes from Connecticut’s CT 250 initiative, especially those of “telling inclusive stories” and “for the common good.” As the CT 250 guidelines state, “For much of our history, the United States has excluded people — women, free and enslaved African Americans, Indigenous people, immigrants, people with disabilities, the poor, and many others — from full participation and representation in the nation’s political, economic, and cultural life. This commemoration is an opportunity to continue the nation’s reckoning with the past, both its glory and its missteps and flaws. By telling previously untold stories, we will enable everyone to find a place in our nation’s narrative.”
A robust selection of programming has been developed to complement this exhibition, including gallery talks with artists whose work is included in the show, lectures on topics ranging from artist Florine Stettheimer’s passion for Americana to a deep dive into Stanley Forman’s photograph “The Soiling of Old Glory”, and family-friendly events centered around flag-making and other topics. All programs are free and open to the public. This exhibition is part of a series of cultural and artistic events at Fairfield University commemorating the semiquincentennial of the United States.
To learn more, visit fairfield.edu.
