Faith Ringgold (1930–2024) was a multi-disciplinary artist, activist, and author. Deeply involved in the Black Power and feminist movements of the 1960s and ’70s, Ringgold’s work is both intensely political and personal. The works in this intimate exhibition evince Ringgold’s life-long activism and interrogation of American myth-making. The exhibition presents two different visions of Ringgold’s work from the Museum’s permanent collection—the first in fall 2026 and the second in spring 2027. The fall installation focuses on Ringgold’s engagement with American history, highlighting two print portfolios: Declaration of Freedom and Independence and Letter from Birmingham City Jail. 

The second iteration of the exhibition, opening in January 2027, pairs prints by Ringgold with related American artworks from the permanent collection. These juxtapositions—such as her jazz series paired with 1945 photographs of Chicago nightlife—shed light on her influences and her work’s deep ties to American art and history. Timed to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary, this exhibition offers a new lens through which to consider our relationship with US history and the incisive work of a great American artist.