Patriotic artist Scott LoBaido has been painting what he says may be the largest oil-on-canvas American flag live at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., a 9-by-17-foot work created at the Made in America Pavilion during celebrations around the nation’s 250th birthday, and he insists the piece is meant to unite rather than divide.
LoBaido set up in public, working on a colossal canvas where fairgoers can watch the brushstrokes come to life. The scale is meant to be impressive and immediate, a hands-on tribute to a symbol he calls bigger than any political label. The setting at the Great American State Fair makes the moment civic and celebratory, with the country’s birthday framing the effort.
The artist has been clear that the flag is meant to belong to everyone, saying the American flag “does not belong to any particular party.” He’s well known for his politics, and he acknowledges that, but he argues the work itself steps outside party lines to honor shared history. Making the painting public was part of that point: to let people from different backgrounds see and react in real time.
LoBaido didn’t shy from the fact that his support for former President Trump is public, but he drew a line between his politics and the art, saying, “I am a political person, but that’s irrelevant from this,” and adding, “This flag is for everybody.” That plain talk reflects a straightforward belief: patriotism isn’t owned by one faction. The claim is that reverence for the flag and for what it stands for should be universal.
He also addressed critics who treat the flag as a partisan emblem, arguing some people on the left “run away from the flag because they think it’s a MAGA symbol,” and he says that reaction misunderstands both the nation and the artwork. Painting such a large flag in public was intended to confront that divide in a calm way and let viewers decide for themselves. LoBaido sees his canvas as a bridge rather than a banner of exclusion.
LoBaido pointed out that the fair attracts a wide range of visitors and used that to make his case, saying, “This fair right now that we are at is the perfect example, because there are a lot of Democrats that are coming through here,” and, “And they know me, and they know my politics. And we did not have any political conversation. We spoke about the flag, the art, the meaning of the flag … how special it is that we’re at this 250th birthday party anniversary.” Those interactions, he says, prove the flag can spark common ground.
When people protest the country by desecrating the flag, LoBaido pushes back with a constitutional reminder, noting, “That American flag that men and women still die for is giving you the freedom to be whatever you want, and do whatever you want – protest whatever you want,” and he added, “So that flag should always be up in the air.” His argument is simple: the flag protects the liberties that allow dissent in the first place.
Part of the attention on the piece comes from its claimed size and medium. “I believe this is the largest American flag done with oils on canvas at the colossal canvas size of 9 feet by 17 feet,” he said. “So, right there is my biggest detailed oil painting of Old Glory.” Working in oils on such a scale in public gives the painting a different texture and presence than his other works and creates a live art moment for visitors.
For LoBaido, the flag is more than pigment and cloth; it’s art and history combined, and he called the American flag itself “the greatest work of art.” He explained the choice to work at the 250th birthday events with rhetorical flair: “Where better to unveil, create in public, live, this greatest work of art — not mine, but the American flag itself — at the birthday party of the greatest place in the universe, America, and its 250th birthday party?” The spectacle, he hopes, highlights pride without petty partisan points.
He plans to finish the piece on Independence Day and expects the unveiling to be emotional, saying, “I’m just going to put the final touches on it and I don’t know, maybe make an emotional statement, a little speech,” and noting he has “a weakness for this country and the Star-Spangled Banner sung properly.” Interest has already cropped up about where the painting might go next, and LoBaido floated a grand possibility. “Would this not look great in the White House ballroom?” he asked. “I think it would be the most beautiful painting with the gold frame on it. Who knows?” He also joked that if the president wanted the work, “he might have to open up his checkbook,” and said he gives “a big portion” of his proceeds to charity.
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