Florida Atlantic University’s University Galleries opened a new art exhibition on Thursday in recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Titled “America 250: We Hold These Truths: We Walk These Grounds,” the exhibition is on view at the Schmidt Art Gallery on FAU’s Boca Raton campus.

The exhibition includes work by six contemporary artists and runs through Sunday, March 29. Organized by University Galleries, the gallery uses objects and materials to examine themes of patriotism and American history and is free and open to the public.

The exhibition features six American artists: Carlos Betancourt, Daesha Harris, Doug Mills, John Hitchcock, Melissa Sclafani and Yves Gabriel. One of the featured artists, Melissa Sclafani, discussed the significance of having her work shown at the university and the message she hoped to convey to viewers.

Sclafani said her work drew inspiration from 1940s-era playgrounds, which she described as spaces where freedom and imagination intersect for both children and adults. She said her work explored what it means to be American through the concepts of freedom of choice and the responsibilities that go with it.

The exhibition reinterprets familiar American symbols, including apple trees, wild horses, longhorn cattle, presidential portraits, and family heirlooms. Gallery Director Véronique Côté says the exhibition encourages viewers to participate in the evolving story of what it means to be American, engage with the past, acknowledge contradictions, and reflect on how America’s future will be shaped.

Maya Vonlattorff, an FAU student majoring in studio art, said her first impression of the exhibition focused on the 3D pieces that hung off the wall. “Where the heaviness, size, and scale of the art are based on the expensive topic,” Vonlattorff said.

Vonlattorff said the exhibition made her think differently about everyday aspects of American life. “Every person has a different experience within America, and the artists express this through different mediums of their perspective; sculpture, photography, videos, 3D art of America’s history, and what it is now,” she said.

Riley Kozak is a Contributing Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, email Riley at [email protected].