The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) has called off an upcoming exhibition by painter Kehinde Wiley in light of recent allegations of sexual misconduct made against the artist by several men. The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Neb., and the Pérez Art Museum Miami have also quietly put plans to stage Wiley’s work on hold.
In a statement sent to The Times, Wiley denied the allegations, writing, “It is disappointing that this social media-driven fabrication is distracting from the goal of the tour: shedding light on the inequities Black and Brown people face in our society. These allegations are completely false, raising more questions about their credibility and motivation than there are facts supporting their authenticity.” A media rep for Mia wrote, “Mia was considering taking the Kehinde Wiley exhibition, but as a result of these unfortunate allegations we will not be proceeding with this presentation.
” Wiley, who is from South Los Angeles, rose to international fame in 2018 with his official portrait of Barack Obama , which is housed in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The painting features the president against a lush backdrop of chrysanthemums, jasmine and African blue lilies.
In 2021 the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens commissioned Wiley to create a response to Thomas Gainsborough’s 1770 portrait “The Blue Boy,” which is by far the most popular work in its collection. For a time, Wiley’s painting, �.
