New Exhibition at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream Illustrates How US Treasury Shaped America's Iconic Imagery and Ideals

Shaping American Identity: The Art of the US Department of the Treasury, on view September 19 
 

September 18, 2026 (Washington, D.C.)— “Shaping American Identity: The Art of the US Department of the Treasury” opens September 19 at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream. Its elements powerfully evoke the founding principles of our republic and democratic values, extol the ideals of the American experiment, and call its citizens to action. The US Department of the Treasury has used artistic expression to guide the visual language of the United States for well over two centuries, and the Milken Center is pleased to be the only venue to present this exhibition.

This free exhibition features seldom seen coinage, bank notes, oil paintings, lithographs, architectural drawings, and other remarkable works from artists such as Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth that were commissioned by the US Treasury. This collection of publicly funded works of art, on display together for the first time, offers visitors an insight into how American ideals have been visually represented throughout our shared history.

“We are delighted to partner with the US Treasury to exhibit these rarely seen original works that are visually striking and deeply symbolic, weaving together iconic imagery and timeless ideals such as liberty, In God We Trust, and E Pluribus Unum," said David Trulio, president of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream. "From currency, to paintings, to bond posters, to building designs, this exhibition illustrates for visitors how the Treasury has communicated America’s founding principles, inspired our citizens, and called them to action.”  

Visitors to "Shaping American Identity” will see:

• Distinctive coins and other numismatic pieces, such as issues of the 1907 gold US $20 Double Eagle and the 1935 Buffalo nickel. These well-known coins will be on view along with their plaster and metal casts, designed by notable sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and James Earle Fraser. Their designs emerged from a Treasury-led push, championed by President Theodore Roosevelt, to bring the artistry of American coinage in line with the classical beauty of ancient currency.
• A powerful selection of American war bond posters commissioned by the US Treasury to persuade everyday Americans to help support efforts during the first and second World Wars. Rather than raising funds through taxation alone, the Treasury turned to bold, emotionally resonant imagery to encourage citizens to lend their savings to the government, framing the purchase of a bond as a tangible, personal contribution to victory. The show includes posters illustrated by decorated artists of the time, such as James Montgomery Flagg, Betsy Graves Reyneau, Norman Rockwell, and N.C. Wyeth. Among the most recognized examples on view is Rockwell's Freedom of Speech, part of his celebrated Four Freedoms series, which depicted an ordinary townsman standing to voice his opinion at a public meeting. Inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address, the series translated abstract wartime ideals into intimate, recognizable American scenes and was used by the Treasury as the centerpiece of a nationwide war bond drive that raised millions of dollars. The 1943 poster, Keep Us Flying!, prominently features a portrait of Tuskegee Airman Major Robert Deiz. This portrait by Betsy Graves Reyneau made Deiz one of the most recognizable airmen of the war. The poster was popular and remains an icon of illustration, portraiture, and American identity.
• Silver certificates from the 1896 Educational Series, alongside oil paintings from Will H. Low, Edwin H. Blashfield, and Walter Shirlaw, which the US Treasury commissioned for the designs of these exact bank notes. The series was intended to elevate currency into fine art, using allegorical figures to celebrate education and knowledge as pillars of American progress, and is still regarded as one of the most artistically ambitious currency designs the United States has ever produced. 
• Paintings from artists such as Louis Lozowick, Santos Zingale, and Mitchell Jamieson, who documented American architecture and infrastructure through New Deal art programs administered by the Treasury. These programs employed artists during the Great Depression to create public art for federal buildings, aiming to instill a sense of shared national purpose and celebrate everyday American labor and progress.
• Historic and contemporary photographs of architectural projects overseen by the Treasury, which was historically responsible for the design and construction of federal buildings across the country, including many courthouses, post offices, and customs houses that continue to shape the civic identity of American towns and cities today.
• A striking 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition Presentation Frame opens the show. This monumental piece is more than six feet tall and stretches nine feet wide. The top is adorned with the Columbus family crest. Inside the ornate gilded wood and plaster frame are reproductions of bank notes, stamps, and engraved vignettes, representing the US Treasury’s goal to demonstrate American excellence in engraving during the turn of the 20th century.

This collection of items will be on display together for the first time as part of “Shaping American Identity” and complement items in the Milken Center’s permanent galleries, including wampum, Civil War currency, and a rai stone. Through a spectrum of craftsmanship and art, this exhibition illustrates the US Treasury’s wide scope of influence in defining the shared visual language of the United States. “Shaping American Identity” will be on view through January 2027.

“Shaping American Identity: The Art of the Us Department of the Treasury” is a collaboration between the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream and the US Department of the Treasury, with participation from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the United States Mint, and Freedom250.

Additionally, the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream will open another new exhibition on October 2, “Be the People.” Presented by Stand Together, this exhibition highlights how the unique blueprint for America has always been determined by the people. “Be the People” captures moments in American history that have charted the course for our shared liberty, including research from the Library of Congress that revealed Thomas Jefferson's early revisions to the Declaration of Independence that helped define American autonomy and citizenship.

The Milken Center is also proud to announce it has begun hosting United States Naturalization Ceremonies. On Thursday, September 17, Constitution Day and Citizens Day, 50 people were inducted into American citizenship. The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream is honored to host the final piece of the naturalization process for those looking to build their American Dreams.

These exhibitions and naturalization ceremonies are examples of the breadth of the Milken Center’s work to advance the values of the American Dream as it reaches the first-year anniversary of opening.
 

Quick Facts

What: New exhibition about US Treasury’s cultural influence

Where: Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, 1503 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20005

When: September 19, 2026, through January 18, 2027

Admission: Free (tickets required); Holodeck Experience add-on: $15

Hours: 10 a.m.—5:30 p.m. (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

More info: Please visit mcaad.org
 

About the Milken Institute and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what’s pressing now and what’s coming next. 
 
The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream carries forward the values of the American Dream by strengthening freedom, opportunity, and hope and serving as a source of inspiration for anyone with a dream and the drive to achieve it. It is located in a restored historic building complex in Washington, DC, on Pennsylvania Avenue, steps from the White House and across from the US Treasury.

For more information, visit milkeninstitute.org and mcaad.org. 
 

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