Courtesy of Academy Art Museum
Landmark exhibition of vintage prints by Weston, Modotti, Álvarez Bravo, Cartier-Bresson, and Levitt opens May 23 in Easton, Maryland
EASTON, MD — The Academy Art Museum presents Under the Mexican Sky: A Revolution in Modern Photography, a major exhibition of 54 vintage prints capturing a defining moment in the evolution of modern photography. Opening May 23 and on view through Oct. 11, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience these works as they were originally produced — objects that reshaped the visual language of the 20th century.
Courtesy of Academy Art Museum
Emerging from Mexico City in the decades following the Mexican Revolution, the photographs reflect a period of profound artistic exchange, where questions of identity, place and social change converged. The exhibition situates photography within a broader cultural movement shaped by political transformation, creative experimentation and a reimagining of how everyday life could be seen and represented.
“Mexico City in the 1920s and 1930s was one of the great artistic centers of the modern era,” said Brian J. Lang, director of curatorial affairs at the Academy Art Museum. “What makes this exhibition so compelling is the immediacy of the prints themselves — these are not reproductions, but the very objects that helped redefine photography as a modern art form. At the same time, they reflect something larger: a moment when artists were grappling with identity, culture and place in ways that still resonate today.”
Presented as part of the Museum’s summer season, We the People, the exhibition explores themes of identity, lived experience and cultural exchange — offering a lens into how artists interpret the world around them and, in turn, shape how we understand it.
“This approach reflects a broader shift in how museums can serve their communities,” said Charlotte Potter Kasic, executive director of the Academy Art Museum. “By centering each season around a unifying theme, we’re able to be more intentional in aligning our exhibitions, programs and partnerships — creating a cohesive experience that extends beyond the gallery walls. It’s about building connection: inviting people to encounter art in ways that feel relevant to their lives and ensuring they can see themselves within the stories we’re telling.”
Courtesy of Academy Art Museum
Through landscapes, street scenes and studies of daily life, Under the Mexican Sky reveals a visual dialogue between artists and environment — one that moves between observation and abstraction, documentation and interpretation. The result is an exhibition that feels both historically grounded and strikingly contemporary.
Under the Mexican Sky anchors a dynamic summer season at the Academy Art Museum, with a range of exhibitions, workshops and community-driven projects extending into the fall, including:
Esteban del Valle: Artist-in-Residence
May 13–June 24, 2026
Community-driven residency explores mentorship, place and collective expression.
Artist Talk – Thursday, May 14, 6 p.m. Free and open to the public
The New Colossus: 2026 Teen Council Exhibition
June 2–Aug. 9, 2026
Youth perspectives reimagine belonging, freedom and who is seen.
Reception and Curators’ Talk – Friday, June 5, 5 p.m. Free and open to the public
Tawny Chatmon: Private Collection of the Chatmon Family and Richard Marks & Amy Haines
June 5–July 5, 2026
Layered portraits explore Black identity, beauty, ancestry and representation.
Artist Talk – Saturday, June 20, at the Annual Juneteenth Celebration, 3–4 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Lisa Elmaleh: Promised Land
June 9–Aug. 9, 2026
Borderlands photography examines migration, humanity and contemporary American narratives.
Artist Talk – Saturday, July 25, 6 p.m. Free and open to the public
Free Family Art Day: Personalized Mexican Lotería Boards
Sunday, August 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lecture with Monica Bravo
Friday, August 28, 6 p.m. Free and open to the public
Beyond Origins, Across Borders: Modernist Photography in Mexico
Lecture with Robin Owen Joyce, PhD
Friday, September 11, 6 p.m. FREE and open to the public
Cross-Border Solidarity: African American Artists in Mexico
One Says Mexico: Mezcal Tasting & Multi-Channel Radio Opera
Friday, September 25, 6 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and on sale now:
For more information and to explore the full lineup of programs related to Under the Mexican Sky: A Revolution in Modern Photography, visit: https://academyartmuseum.org/under-the-mexican-sky-a-revolution-in-modern-photography/
