MINNEAPOLIS, MN.- The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) presents “Containing Multitudes,” an exhibition celebrating the richness and contradictions of American life through photography. The exhibition will be on view December 20, 2025, through August 2, 2026, in the Harrison Photography Gallery.

Taking its title and inspiration from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, “Containing Multitudes” explores how photographers have sought to represent the complexity of American experience over the past 250 years—reflecting the nation’s pluralism, diversity, and continual evolution. Featuring 95 works drawn from Mia’s permanent collection, the exhibition brings together iconic images and recent acquisitions to tell a story both familiar and new.

“For generations, artists have used cameras to examine the United States and its ideals, contradictions, and transformations,” said Casey Riley, chair of Global Contemporary Art and curator of Photography and New Media at Mia. “‘Containing Multitudes’ honors that continuous dialogue by showing how artists—across time, geography, and identity—employ photography to expand our understanding of what America is and might be.”

The exhibition includes works by many notable artists, including Dawoud Bey, Catherine Opie, Deana Lawson, Stephanie Syjuco, Carrie Mae Weems, Laura Aguilar, Brittany Nelson, Anthony Hernandez, Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, and Robert Frank. It also features important contemporary artists working in Minnesota, including Jaida Grey Eagle, Xavier Tavera, Pao Houa Her, and Alec Soth, as well as a selection of anonymous amateur photographs from a recent major gift from Peter J. Cohen. Together, the photographs in “Containing Multitudes” bring a fresh perspective on life in the United States and the ways in which American culture is influenced by many factors, including global migration and Indigenous knowledge.

With newly acquired works and beloved objects from Mia’s vaults, “Containing Multitudes” underscores the museum’s commitment to building an inclusive collection that reflects the diverse communities of the Twin Cities and beyond. The exhibition coincides with the 250th anniversary of the United States, inviting visitors to consider how images shape collective identity and understanding.