For the 36th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Sarah Roberts, curator of the landmark exhibition "Amy Sherald: American Sublime," and editor of the accompanying catalog published by Yale University Press in association with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Roberts discusses Sherald's revolutionary portraiture approach — from her distinctive gray-scale skin tones that shift focus to her subjects' interior lives, to her deliberate use of clothing and settings as narrative devices. She shares insights on the "American sublime" concept in Sherald's work and her curatorial decisions integrating the iconic Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor portraits within the larger context of the artist's practice.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in contemporary portraiture, the evolution of American figurative painting, and how art can challenge conventional narratives about representation and identity. Roberts' insights reveal why Sherald's quiet yet radical artistic vision offers a powerful reimagining of who deserves to be seen and celebrated in American art history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Sarah Roberts is Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Joan Mitchell Foundation where she oversees the Foundation's Artwork and Archival Collections and the Joan Mitchell Catalogue Raisonné project. Since 2004, she has served in progressive leadership roles in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the SFMOMA, and since 2020 as Andrew W. Mellon Curator and Head of Painting and Sculpture. A specialist in post-war American art, Roberts has organized significant exhibitions including major presentations of Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Bourgeois, Frank Bowling, and co-curated the Joan Mitchell retrospective that traveled internationally. Roberts holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Brown University, and has contributed to numerous publications on contemporary art.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
"Amy Sherald: American Sublime" is now on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York through August 3, 2025, following its run at SFMOMA. The exhibition will travel to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2025 – February 22, 2026).

PURCHASE THE BOOK
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300279382/amy-sherald/ 

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by B

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden