American Icons: Sacralizing A Nation

This exhibition explores the ways that religion has been deeply interwoven into the iconography of the United States. Historically, the term ‘icon’ (Greek for ‘image’) is associated with Christian traditions, aligning most notably with venerated religious figures. Today, ‘icon’ is often used more loosely, to refer to something that has become recognizable on a mass scale, but the deep histories of religious imagery inevitably wend their way into iconic representations. Drawing from the UWM Art Collection and supplemented with works from the American Geographical Society Library, American Icons invites viewers to consider what Americans choose to venerate – political and historical figures, national landscapes and monuments, and celebrities and consumer goods. By examining the visual products of reverence, the exhibition demonstrates the multifaceted, complex, and mutable nature of American identity and the ways it is (re)defined by an ever-changing set of icons.