The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation is excited to announce it is accepting submissions from professional artists for display in our special exhibition, "Fresh Views of the American Revolution," October 18, 2025 - May 3, 2026 at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
In advance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation will showcase art from America’s Bicentennial commemoration to inspire new reflections on Revolutionary principles from contemporary artists and community members.
The exhibition will feature original works by Oscar de Mejo commissioned for the 1976 publication, “Fresh Views of the American Revolution,” by historian Paul Foley. Using these pieces as inspiration for dialogue and responsive artmaking, the exhibition will juxtapose de Mejo’s work with contemporary art. Posing questions about the nature of liberty, freedom, equality, and revolution, this exhibition will allow audiences to find their own meaning about our continuing American Revolution.
The deadline for artist submissions is January 5, 2025.
Exhibition Themes
Artists are asked to submit works that correspond with one of the exhibit's themes: Power, Determination, Choice and Change, Liberty, and Memory. They are encouraged to reflect on themes in the original Oscar de Mejo artworks and the questions posed by each theme while expressing their contemporary reflections on those themes.
Power
The American Revolution was a power struggle. Through these artworks, de Mejo explores how power was taken, given, accepted and fought for. Artists are invited to consider who has power today. What kinds of power are available? How do we use our individual power? How do we use our collective power?
Determination
What drove the colonists to Revolution? What allowed them to continue in the face of such a formidable enemy? What were they fighting for? Artists are invited to consider what determination means to them, and how it has shaped the building of our culture and history. Is determination always positive? How do we continue to pursue the American ideals in the face of obstacles?
Choice and Change
We make choices every day. During the American Revolution, and following it, the choices made by individuals shaped the nation as we know it. Artists are invited to explore the topic of choice and change as they explore the legacies of the American Revolution on society today. What recent choices have had the largest impact on society? How do we use choice to inform and influence society towards change?
Liberty
Ideas around liberty are pervasive in the American cultural landscape. The American Revolution was in many ways driven by ideals of liberty. With hindsight we often ask, liberty for whom? What does liberty mean? How is it different from freedom? Artists are invited to consider what liberty means in our current world.
Memory
How do we remember the American Revolution? How does this collective memory match with the reality of events and individuals? As we commemorate the 250th of the American Revolution, the stories of people like Betsy Ross and the flag are pervasive in our culture. Does it matter that this scene and this event likely never happened? As we record, write about, and make art about our more recent past, what can we learn about how to develop a collective memory that more closely reflects reality?
