US politics
Artists and scholars respond to White House’s list of Smithsonian grievances
Amy Sherald, the historian Ibram X. Kendi and others personally attacked in the Trump administration’s list of reasons for why the president “is right about the Smithsonian” hit back
More than 150 US arts organisations pledge to resist political pressure
The joint statement, which does not name Donald Trump, comes as the US president seeks to remake the Kennedy Center and dictate programming at the Smithsonian
US museums urged to stop lobbying against Nazi loot restitution bill
A bipartisan group of Senators has proposed amendments to the Hear Act of 2016, but some powerful organisations are concerned the changes go too far
Trump accuses Smithsonian of being too focused on ‘how bad slavery was’
The US president’s criticisms come as the White House begins a review of the Smithsonian’s programmes and exhibitions
US Senator calls for investigation into MoMA trustee Leon Black’s business ties to Jeffrey Epstein
The push by Senator Ron Wyden comes amid partisan disputes over the nature and extent of Epstein’s dealings with the rich and powerful
White House launches review of Smithsonian museums and exhibitions
In a letter to the Smithsonian leader Lonnie G. Bunch, members of Trump’s administration said they want to “ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism”
Smithsonian museum removes label referencing Trump impeachments
The label had been added to a display at the National Museum of American History about checks on presidential powers in 2021 following Trump's second impeachment
Yale University Art Gallery withdraws federal funding applications over anti-diversity regulations
Instead, the museum will draw on Yale University’s endowment for funds to mount an upcoming show of African art
US Senators propose anti-money-laundering legislation for the art market
The Art Market Integrity Act proposed by a bipartisan group of US lawmakers would bring US regulation in line with Europe and the UK
Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian show over censorship claim
The artist says leaders at the National Portrait Gallery suggested removing her painting of a non-binary transgender person posing as the Statue of Liberty
Trump pulls US out of ‘woke’ Unesco
The State Department says that Unesco membership does not square with its “America-first” outlook
Andres Serrano proposes Donald Trump mausoleum for US pavilion at the Venice Biennale
American artist plans to install a multi-media portrait of the president for the 2026 exhibition—but question marks still hang over the application process
US states step up to fund the arts in the wake of federal cuts
Trump’s defunding of the NEA and NEH is changing how state arts commissions get their money
US immigration agents show up unannounced at Puerto Rican cultural centre in Chicago
More than a dozen Department of Homeland Security vehicles swarmed the parking lot of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
Comment | Now is the time to fight for US arts funding
The Trump administration’s defunding of the arts has more than symbolic significance
Trump seeks to defund Institute of American Indian Arts
The only four-year college of its kind is on Trump's chopping block, along with countless other Indigenous causes
Trump’s bill to cut taxes and social safety net programmes includes $40m for patriotic sculpture park
The president’s signature bill, approved by the US Senate on 1 July, is expected to add trillions of dollars to the national debt
US government’s attempts to solicit National Park visitors’ feedback on historical depictions backfires
Notices asking visitors to report “any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans” prompted outrage and pushback
Trump dances with Jeffrey Epstein in new National Mall sculpture
A new anonymous, satirical art piece aimed at the US President has found its way into the White House's orbit
Miami arts organisations face existential crisis amid funding collapse
Cuts in federal, state and county funding—sometimes to nil—are pushing South Florida’s arts ecosystem to the brink
Trump administration violated the law by withholding museum and library funding, government watchdog finds
The non-partisan Government Accountability Office says the Trump administration illegally impounded federal funding that had been approved by Congress
Kim Sajet, director of US National Portrait Gallery whom Trump tried to fire, resigns
Sajet said it was “not an easy decision” but “the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart”
National Endowment for the Humanities staff dwindles as two-thirds of workforce laid off
Around 100 workers at the US federal agency were let go on Tuesday, following orders from the Trump administration
Smithsonian asserts authority to make ‘all personnel decisions’ following Trump attempts to fire gallery director
In response to the president’s targeting of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, the organisation has issued a strategically broad statement, touting its independence and governance by a board and secretary
Amid uncertainty over Trump’s tariffs, many collectors pause purchases while others ‘hold their noses and pay’
The antiques trade and lower- to mid-tier sectors of the art market are waiting for the situation to stabilise, while the most deep-pocketed collectors continue to transact
Comment | In the Trump era, LGBTQ+ communities and culture need support
“With the return of an emboldened Trump administration, our communities are facing a sustained campaign of hostility and a chilling rollback of civil rights”
Trump claims he has fired director of US National Portrait Gallery
It is not clear the president has the authority to make staffing decisions for the gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution
Humanities organisations sue Department of Government Efficiency to restore NEH grants
Two humanities organisations have filed a lawsuit against Doge and the National Endowment for the Humanities in an attempt to restore slashed funds
Foundations' emergency arts and humanities grants provide temporary fix for gaps left by Trump’s slashing of federal funding
Staff reductions, budget cuts and grant cancellations at the NEA, NEH and IMLS have left state and local organisations seeking alternative support
US participation in 2026 Venice Biennale in limbo amid Trump's arts defunding
The administration's delays and disavowal of diversity initiatives have put the US Pavilion at the world's biggest biennial behind schedule