Liberty on the Run (Arizona)

Label

These two personifications of the United States reflect the nation during distinct periods of political distress. John McNevin developed this figure capturing the spirit of union as he worked among the bubbling tensions of the Civil War. Here, Unity firmly holds a shield of defense while surrounded by symbols of love, unity, and the triumph of good over evil. With this engraving, McNevin offers an alternative for national reconciliation.

Inspired by the immigrant crossing signs installed on Interstate 5 near the California-Mexico border, Lalo Alcaraz depicts the family of three with features from the Statue of Liberty. Explicitly referencing the Arizona lawmakers who created policies that infringed on the rights of immigrants, this print prompts us to question those who are meant to uphold national values.

From the 2025-26 exhibition Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda, curated by Michael W. Hartman (Jonathan Little Cohen Curator of American Art), Haely Chang (Jane and Raphael Bernstein Associate Curator of East Asian Art), Elizabeth Rice Mattison (Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art), Ashley B. Offill (Curator of Collections), and Evonne Fuselier (Hood Museum Board of Advisors Mutual Learning Fellow)

Course History

WRIT 5, Human Rights, Global to Local, Peggy Baum, Winter 2014

WRIT 5, Quests, Carl Thum, Winter 2015

LATS 41, Latinos in Media and Arts, Douglas Moody, Spring 2019

ENGL 74.05, Word-Image Theory, Michael Chaney, Fall 2019

LATS 7.02, Latinxs in Media & Arts, Douglas Moody, Winter 2020

SPAN 7.02, Mural Art in Mexico and U.S, Douglas Moody, Spring 2020

Exhibition History

Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda, Harteveldt Family Gallery and Owen Robertson Cheatham Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 18, 2025 - August 8, 2026.

Provenance

Booklyn Artists Alliance, Brooklyn, New York; sold to present collection, 2013.

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Subjects