Who Is America at 250?: Artists Books on the State of Democracy

Curated by Betty Bright, Mark Dimunation, Maymanah Farhat, Yuka Petz, and Ruth Rogers, the exhibition brings together works by 40 artists from across the United States. Through artists’ books and related artworks, Who Is America at 250? reflects on the current state of the American experiment, examining how ideals of democracy have been interpreted, contested, and reshaped in contemporary life.

The works on view (from 39 artists) address urgent issues facing individuals and communities today, including immigration, social injustice, racial inequity, income inequality, and more. Artist Nabil Gonzalez’s Who Are You? investigates social conditions along the U.S. border in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, exploring themes of identity and erasure. In performing bayt (mother tongue), Andrea Shaker (a collective member at MCBA) examines the loss of one’s mother tongue through generational migration, diaspora, and assimilation—considering the role of language in shaping belonging across a suite of eight accordion books. New York–based artist Ana Paula Cordeiro reflects on personal identity, womanhood, and her experience as a Brazilian immigrant in the aftermath of the 2016 election in her book Body of Evidence. Together, these works offer nuanced perspectives on both the challenges and the possibilities shaping American democracy today.

Launching in San Francisco, Who Is America at 250? travels nationally throughout 2026, with confirmed venues including The Boston Athenæum (Boston, MA) and Minnesota Center for Book Arts (Minneapolis, MN). The exhibition is organized by the San Francisco Center for the Book.