February 12鈥揗ay 3, 2026
Talk soon, America: letters to a land of promise and paradox
This year, the United States of America recognizes the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Institutions across the country鈥攆rom federal museums to small-town libraries鈥攚ill commemorate the occasion in different ways, each telling a story about the United States. How should the tale of this nation be told? Is 鈥淎merica鈥 a place or an idea? What or who is an 鈥淎merican鈥 in 2026? In this exhibition, seven student curators set out to investigate the complex legacy of the United States and to contribute their narrative. Drawing from collections of Picker Art Gallery and the Longyear Museum of Anthropology, the exhibition examines some of the foundational concepts on which the nation and its identity have been built, the relationships and sense of belonging that form within American communities, and to how the land itself has shaped鈥攁nd been shaped by鈥攊ts inhabitants. Talk soon, America is conceived as a correspondence with the nation, a letter asking for answers to the question: what does it mean to be living in the United States on the eve of its 250th year?
Opening reception Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.
Dana Arts Center, second floor