Fairfield University Art Museum is pleased to announce a $15,000 grant from CT Humanities in support of an exhibition planned for spring 2026, as part of a series of cultural and artistic events at Fairfield University commemorating the 250th anniversary—semiquincentennial—of the United States.
For Which It Stands…, will run from January 23 – July 25, 2026, and will feature 75 works by diverse artists across art movements from the early 20th century to the present day, focusing on depictions of the American flag. The exhibition will include works ranging from Childe Hassam’s Italian Day, May 1918—lent by the Art Bridges Foundation—to a new textile sculpture by Maria de Los Angeles, being commissioned for the exhibition. Works by Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, and Julie Mehretu will challenge viewers to consider who the American flag truly represents and whether justice is available to all. Additional pieces by renowned artists like Emma Amos, Eric Fischl, Glenn Ligon, and many others will further enrich the exhibition, offering a broad range of artistic expressions and attitudes toward the flag.
Included works are coming from private collections, artists, galleries, and institutions such as the Forge Art Project, Columbia University Avery Library, Delaware Museum of Art, The Mattatuck Museum of Art, Bridgeport Public Library, Gordon Parks Foundation, Orlando Museum of Art, Westport Public Art Collections, Yale University Art Gallery, the State of Connecticut’s CT Artists Collection, and the Fairfield University Art Museum’s own collection.
“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 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. We are very grateful to CT Humanities for their generous support of this important exhibition.”
Connecticut Humanities (CTH)
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
The support of this exhibition by CT Humanities reflects their understanding of how closely it aligns with the guiding themes from CT 250, especially those of “telling inclusive stories” and “for the common good.” As the CT 250 guidelines so eloquently 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.” For Which It Stands… looks at our nation’s history from 1918 to today through the lens of artists from diverse backgrounds and strives to tell as complete a history as possible.
The exhibition also aligns with the theme of “for the common good” and its description of “an opportunity for discussions about our democracy and civic institutions (which) can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape our democracy.” Inspiring conversation and thought about the future of our democracy is a key goal of the exhibition.
A robust selection of programming has been developed to complement this exhibition, including gallery talks with contemporary artists whose work is in the show, lectures on topics ranging from artist Florine Stettheimer’s passion for Americana to a deep dive into the photograph The Soiling of Old Glory, and family-friendly events centered around flag-making and other topics. All events are free and open to the public.
