Ann Arbor Times

The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) has announced a new commission and exhibition by artist, curator, and researcher Julie Ault. The project, titled American Sampler: Activating the Archive, will open on January 24, 2026. The exhibition is timed to coincide with the United States’ 250th anniversary and aims to examine the role of protest in shaping American identity.

American Sampler marks the start of a two-year exhibition series developed through a partnership between UMMA and the Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan Library. The Labadie Collection is known as one of the largest archives focused on political dissent and social movements worldwide. Julie Ault was selected as the first recipient of the UMMA Labadie Artist Research Residency for this project.

The exhibition brings together artifacts, artworks, and archival documents from both UMMA’s collection and the Labadie Collection, as well as other sources. It focuses on visual strategies and methods used in American protest movements, highlighting areas such as Black freedom struggles, civil rights organizing, antiwar activism—including opposition to the Vietnam War—and their connections to ongoing justice efforts.

Visitors will encounter a range of historical materials rarely seen in public displays. These include Freedom Rider testimonials, material from GI and veteran war resistance groups, publications from the Black Panther Party, courtroom records from the Chicago Seven Trial, pacifist statements, among others. Works by artists like Romare Bearden, Robert Indiana, Corita Kent, Jacob Lawrence, Nancy Spero, Félix González-Torres are also featured.

Julie Ault is working with Julie Herrada, Curator of the Labadie Collection. Together they are designing American Sampler as an evolving installation that will change over its two-year run to reflect current issues in activism.

“This is a moment when the mechanics of democracy are under intense scrutiny,” said Christina Olsen, UMMA Director. “Julie Ault’s American Sampler reminds us that the imagery and tactics of protest and the power of organized resistance are not only our political inheritance but a vital part of the cultural imagination.”

This initiative launches a three-part collaboration between UMMA and Labadie Collection. The second installment is scheduled for Fall 2026 with artist Tomashi Jackson presenting new work focused on racial justice and community activism in UMMA’s Tisch Apse gallery space. Plans for a third component may involve publishing or hosting a symposium to further discussions about protest and social justice.

American Sampler will be installed in UMMA’s Vertical Gallery with additional installations extending into public spaces like the museum café. Organizers say it is designed as an accessible resource for researchers and visitors interested in exploring questions about conflict over ideas, justice movements, and resilience within American society.