Minneapolis Institute of Art to Present First Museum Exhibition of Paintings from Titus Kaphar’s “Exhibiting Forgiveness”

Exhibition brings together nine paintings created for Kaphar’s acclaimed feature film, including Mia’s recent acquisition Do You Remember Douglas Street?

Minneapolis—The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) announces the first museum exhibition that unites acclaimed artist Titus Kaphar’s deeply personal paintings and feature-length film Exhibiting Forgiveness, a powerful exploration of generational trauma, memory, and healing. The landmark exhibition will be on view September 12, 2026, in the museum’s Bell Court gallery. The exhibition collapses boundaries between fine art, film, memoir, and social history.

Organized in collaboration with the artist and curated by Casey Riley, Mia’s Chair of Global Contemporary Art, the exhibition will feature nine paintings created specifically for Kaphar’s critically acclaimed film, including the work Do You Remember Douglas Street? Mia acquired the painting earlier this year, underscoring Mia’s commitment to presenting timely artistic projects that engage deeply with visitors’ lived experiences and contemporary social conversations.

“Exhibiting Forgiveness” asks, “How can a life in art help one heal from generational trauma?” Through paintings rooted in Kaphar’s own childhood experiences, family history, and path toward healing, the exhibition invites visitors into a deeply personal process of recognition, understanding, and acceptance. Together, the paintings explore memory, forgiveness, and the enduring impact of family relationships.

“Titus Kaphar is among the most important artists working in the United States, and his perspective on familial healing and forgiveness is deeply relevant to communities within the Twin Cities,” said Katie Luber, Nivin and Duncan MacMillan Director and President of Mia. “At the same time, and because this exhibition engages topics that are both timely and relevant to broad audiences, ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’ offers new pathways for accessibility and inclusion to the diverse communities Mia serves.”

In his practice, Kaphar engages and critiques historical memory through vividly realized paintings, installations, and sculpture. As an academically trained artist whose work often references canonical sources in Western art history, Kaphar interrogates the premises of those compositions through strategic elisions, cut-outs, and sculptural interventions, revealing the complex underpinnings of each scenario and sitter.

Kaphar debuted the film Exhibiting Forgiveness at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024. Written and directed by the artist, the film draws on elements of Kaphar’s upbringing and follows Tarrell, an accomplished painter who confronts painful childhood memories and the possibility of reconciliation with his estranged father. Released in October 2024 to significant critical acclaim, the film was accompanied by an exhibition of 15 paintings at Gagosian in Beverly Hills, California.

In March 2026, Mia acquired one of the exhibition’s central works, Do You Remember Douglas Street? The painting depicts the home where young Tarrell lived with his parents, Joyce and La’Ron, rendered at nightfall in bruised tones of blue and purple. A smaller canvas protrudes from the composition, supported by the figure of a young boy whose blood-stained shoe references a traumatic childhood injury and the lasting emotional weight carried into adulthood. The painting serves as a powerful meditation on memory, abuse, and generational healing.

“This painting, and seven others selected by Kaphar for presentation at Mia, present a vividly intimate view into the people, places, and moments central to the artist’s life and storytelling,” said Casey Riley, Mia’s Chair of Global Contemporary Art. “The exhibition also creates space for reflection, encouraging audiences to consider their own experiences of healing, forgiveness, and resilience.”

Monthly screenings of the film Exhibiting Forgiveness will take place throughout the exhibition’s run in the museum’s Pillsbury Auditorium. In addition to writing and directing the feature, Kaphar also produces alongside Derek Cianfrance, Jamie Patricof, Stephanie Allain, and Sean Cotton.

A related publication from Rizzoli will also accompany the exhibition.

Exhibition Details

For more information on this and other upcoming exhibitions, visit www.artsmia.org.

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About the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) inspires wonder, spurs creativity, and nourishes the imagination. With extraordinary exhibitions and one of the finest art collections in the country—from all corners of the globe, from ancient to contemporary—Mia links the past to the present, enables global conversations, and offers an exceptional setting for inspiration. Learn more about Mia in our latest Impact Report.

General admission to Mia is always free, but some special exhibitions charge a nominal fee.

For more information, call 1-612-870-3000 or visit artsmia.org. Everyone is welcome. Always.