The exhibition that I went to was Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, presented at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in collaboration with Art Bridges. They were further supported by Faye and Robert Davidson, William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment Fund, Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Foundation, Margery and Edgar Masinter Exhibition Endowment, Sara Roby Foundation, and Share Fund.
The exhibition consisted of mostly paintings by William H. Johnson himself. They were spread around a few spacious rooms with arfully chosen wall colors that helped emphasize the paintings without overpowering them. There were also a few stands interspersed throughout the exhibition with extra information or interactive parts for the viewers, as well as TV’s relaying short 5 minute videos about William H. Johnson and the paintings. 
There were different kinds of stands, such as a small screen that allowed for the viewer to use its touchscreen to discover more background information about some of the paintings.
Another kind was one with extra information about the painting it stood next to, as well as a QR code that allowed for more exploration on the topic if desired. 
My favorite kind of display however, was probably the one with tactile raised figures that emulated William H. Johnson’s paintings.
The thesis of the exhibition is related to the cultural significance of William H. Johnson’s work and its reflections and poignant representations of prominent moments in Black American history. The curators are clearly trying to emphasize this message by providing extra commentary throughout the exhibit. They do this through videos and physical displays dispersed around the rooms.
I don’t think this was a particularly difficult project to put together. It does seem like there was a lot of effort put into it but I don’t think the information was hard to obtain, and the paintings often speak for themselves, displaying all of the information relevant to the subject in the painting around them. The only thing that might have made this more difficult is being able to collect all of the pieces in one place, and also having access to some of his most famous pieces to display.
Overall I think the exhibition did a great job displaying the information and paintings in an easily digestible way. It also provided multiple resources for further research if the viewer wished to learn more, but did so in an ingriguing yet unobtrusive way. It was a very informative and interesting exhibition that is suitable for people with all levels of interest in William H. Johnson’s past and paintings.
