“HARRIET”: This work by Elizabeth Catlett will be featured in a special exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, on view at the Arts Council of Princeton August 29 through October 3.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support a landmark exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. On view August 29 through October 3, the exhibition will explore how American artists, both past and present, have shaped and reimagined American life through art.

Curated by artists and curators Judith K. Brodsky and Rhinold Ponder, the exhibition will center on the work of artists across generations through intergenerational pairings. The exhibition examines how these artists have explored and expanded the ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence — “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” — using art as a vehicle for expression, resistance, care, and community.

Pairings will include Faith Ringgold and Bisa Butler, Selma Burke and Simone Leigh, Alma Thomas and Julie Mehretu, Betye Saar and Tschabalala Self, Carrie Mae Weems and LaToya Ruby Frazier, Laura Wheeler Waring and Jordan Casteel, Elizabeth Catlett and Kara Walker, and Howardena Pindell and Shinique Smith. Through these connections, the exhibition will not only showcase individual artistic voices but also trace a lineage of creative expression that has contributed to shaping and defining American art.

Presented in collaboration with the Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM), Morven Museum, the Historical Society of Princeton, Princeton Public Library, and Rachael DeLue of the Princeton Humanities Initiative, the project is part of a coordinated, town-wide commemoration of the nation’s Semiquincentennial. Coordinated tours across ACP, Morven Museum, Bainbridge House, and PUAM will offer visitors a comprehensive exploration of American artistic expression.

NEA funding also supports interactive educational and artmaking activities that connect exhibiting artists with students participating in the ACP outreach programs. Additional programming will include artist/curator talks and community artmaking workshops.

The ACP is at 102 Witherspoon Street For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.