Is the sun rising or setting on the experiment of American democracy? In the exhibition Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America, 20 artists debut work responding to this question. 

This exhibit, which is a collaborative effort by the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), was inspired by two independent references of the metaphorical rising sun of America: When Benjamin Franklin contemplated whether the sun carved in George Washington’s chair was rising or setting during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. At the end of the convention, Franklin stated, “…But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun.” The other reference is James Weldon Johnson’s poem and hymn Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, specifically the line, “… Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on ’till victory is won.” 

Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America displays various artistic responses to this theme through audio recordings, visual projects, full gallery installations, sculptures, and large-scale paintings, drawings, and prints. The artists thought deeply about where our country is today regarding democracy and equal opportunities for all Americans. “The exhibition challenges racial assumptions and assesses the beauty of what this country could be if we dared to place our collective past under a microscope,” said Dejay Duckett, Vice President of Curatorial Services at AAMP, in a release. 

Rising Sun is on view through Oct. 8, 2023. The immersive exhibition is featured throughout the entire African American Museum. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is hosting Rising Sun in its Historic Landmark Building, which has been emptied for the first time in 50 years for this exhibition. AAMP and PAFA have partnered with the Philadelphia Visitor Center to offer a joint reduced admission ticket to both museums. With a short 15-minute walk between the two, visitors can make a day out of it. 

PAFA President Eric Pryor said in a release, “This historic partnership with AAMP is timely and thought-provoking. Twenty amazing artists creating powerful artistic statements that challenge us to consider the current state of our democracy.”

*Editor’s note: Eric Pryor is the father of Mecca Pryor, the writer of this article.