For the People, By the People: America at 250

FAIN: ZZ-310272-25

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (Kalamazoo, MI 49007-5102)
Rehema C. Barber (Project Director: August 2025 to present)

For the People, By the People: America at 250 is a multilayered exhibition that will examine the country’s 250th anniversary of its founding by interpreting its evolving relationship to its founding ideals. The exhibition reflects the understanding that the signing of the Declaration of Independence set in motion the rise of one of the most important world powers of the colonial era to the present. The Declaration of Independence and The Star-Spangled Banner are the primary foundational texts through which historical and contemporary artworks will examine and consider what America has meant, and continues to signify, for its manifold population. Through them, the KIA aspires to celebrate the United States’ semiquincentennial by exploring the nation's pursuit of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” A series of lectures by humanities scholars will be among the programs the KIA produces to enlighten the public on the historical and social significance of the artworks on display