Arc of Promise

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Arc of Promise explores how Philadelphia’s artists have envisioned “America” as an idea, from the nation’s founding to today. Drawing largely from Woodmere’s collection, the exhibition spans the 1790s to the present, with painting, sculpture, and works on paper that reflect the ever-renewed ideal of the American experiment. Art with depictions of maps and flags, as well as social and allegorical representations from the 18th through the 21st centuries, is placed in dialogue, revealing how Philadelphia’s artists across generations have grappled with questions of national identity and freedom.

The exhibition’s title is inspired by Philadelphia-born artist Jerry Pinkney (1939–2021), whose notion of the “arc of promise” acknowledges America’s painful histories—slavery, displacement, injustice—while affirming its capacity for renewal. Pinkney’s vision, grounded in optimism and equity, frames the exhibition’s central idea: that the promise of America is not fixed, but continuously reimagined by those who believe in its unfolding potential.