Changemakers of the Twenty-First Century: Selections from ‘Americans Who Tell the Truth’

January 23–April 17, 2025

This exhibition highlights Americans who have impacted the world in the past twenty-five years, illuminating how protest can take many different shapes and forms, from forging new legislation, to forming non-profits, to writing poetry. This selection of American changemakers includes activists involved in environmental conservation, racial and social justice, government transparency, and more. The actions of all ofthese individuals have impacted the twenty-first century, and their work carries significant implications for the livelihood of future generations.

The paintings in this exhibition were selected from Shetterly’s ongoing portraiture project Americans Who Tell the Truth. Shetterly began painting portraits of “truth-tellers” more than two decades ago to shed light on the importance of dissent within our democracy and the obligations that we as people have to each other within a society.

These fifteen paintings, out of Shetterly’s more than two hundred portraits, were selected by Vanderbilt students in Museum Exhibition: History of Portraiture taught by Professor Jack Crawford in Fall 2024. The class explored key topics in exhibition design and studied the evolution of portraiture since the eighteenth century. In addition to selecting and researching individual portraits, students curated every aspect of this show from developing the premise to writing the texts and arranging the works in the exhibition space.

With this exhibition, we aim to spark conversation regarding how we think about activism, how to have impact on the world, art as a form of activism, and what it means to be an American. All of the portraits shown in this exhibition depict people who have made it their life’s work to speak out against what they saw as unjust and to give voice to those who do not get a chance to have their stories told. We were inspired by these people and made selections that resonated with each of us; we hope they inspire you too. One day, you could be the one having your portrait painted.

This exhibition is located at the Curb Center, 1801 Edgehill Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212. The exhibition will be open to the public Monday–Thursday, 10 am–4 pm, and by appointment from January 23–April 17, 2025. The exhibition will be closed for Vanderbilt Spring Break, March 10–14.