Art News. Vasari Codex

article policy schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 25 link 40 artists

trump executive orders arts

President Donald Trump’s return to office has triggered a sweeping overhaul of the American cultural landscape through executive orders and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Key actions include the dissolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at the Smithsonian, the cancellation of thousands of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants, and the removal of high-profile Biden appointees from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board. These measures are accompanied by new tariffs and immigration policies that threaten the international art trade and cross-border collaborations.

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article policy schedule Dec 12, 2025 visibility 18 link 3 artists

trump dc buildings demolish philip guston ben shahn

A retired General Services Administration official, Mydelle Wright, has accused the Trump administration of attempting to demolish four historic federal buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building. The allegation was made in a supplemental declaration filed in a lawsuit brought by preservation groups. Wright claims the White House is soliciting demolition bids without GSA involvement, which she says has sole authority over such processes. The Cohen building houses significant New Deal-era murals by Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, and Seymour Fogel, and has been described as "the Sistine Chapel of the New Deal." The Trump administration has halted a planned green renovation and listed the building for accelerated disposition, raising fears of demolition and loss of the artworks.

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article policy schedule Jun 26, 2025 visibility 20 link 6 artists

Tate launches US-style endowment fund, with aim of raising £150m by 2030

Tate has launched the Tate Future Fund, a US-style endowment fund aiming to raise £150 million by 2030 to secure its long-term financial future. More than £43 million has already been raised, announced at a fundraising gala in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall marking the museum's 25th anniversary, attended by artists Steve McQueen and Tracey Emin. Tate director Maria Balshaw explained that the fund will sit separately, managed by the Tate Foundation, with only the interest drawn annually to support artistic creativity, groundbreaking exhibitions, collection building, research, and public benefit programs like school and family learning.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Oct 7, 2025 visibility 17

musems worried trump will end major tax deduction funding

French museums are alarmed that the Trump administration may eliminate a key tax deduction mechanism known as the “equivalency determination,” which allows foreign organizations to receive tax-deductible donations from American patrons. The status is critical for museum-affiliated “American Friends” groups, such as the American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay and the American Friends of the Louvre, the latter of which raised $10 million last year. Lionel Sauvage, president of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, noted that about one-third of his museum’s annual donations—over $2 million—come from American donors. While no concrete action has been taken, Bloomberg reported in April that the administration was considering the move as part of a broader crackdown on tax-exempt nonprofits. Jewish philanthropic organizations have also expressed concern, with the Jewish Funders Network advising compliance amid uncertainty.

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article policy schedule Apr 21, 2025 visibility 15

national gallery of art doge meeting

The director and secretary of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., met with representatives from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to discuss the museum’s legal status, as reported by Kriston Capps in Bloomberg CityLab. The meeting signals potential pressure on the institution under the Trump administration, which had previously targeted the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order accusing it of rewriting history. The National Gallery, a public-private partnership that receives congressional funding, had already begun winding down its DEI initiatives in response to an earlier executive order.

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article policy schedule Aug 29, 2025 visibility 13

woodmere art museum sues trump administration canceled imls grant

Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the unlawful termination of a $750,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grant, awarded in 2024 through the IMLS's 'Save America's Treasures' program, was intended to revamp the museum's catalog system and digitize works for its 'America 250' exhibition honoring the nation's 250th anniversary. After President Trump signed an executive order calling for the IMLS to be eliminated, the agency ceased distributing funding, leaving Woodmere with only about $195,000 of the grant received and scrambling to fulfill contracts already in place. The museum is seeking an injunction to stop the IMLS and the Office of Management and Budget from following the executive order.

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