The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco has announced plans to sell its iconic Daniel Libeskind-designed building in the Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. The institution has been closed to the public since December 2024, drastically reduced its staff and budget, and aims to use the sale to stabilize its finances, reduce debt, and ensure its long-term survival.
Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a program of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, provides free art supplies and tools to over 4,500 organizations, including public schools, nonprofits, and social justice groups. By diverting millions of pounds of materials from landfills—ranging from film production sets to high-end fabrics—the organization has reallocated over $40 million worth of goods to the creative community. The program's leadership is now advocating for an expansion of this model, envisioning dedicated reuse centers in every borough to meet the growing demand for accessible creative resources.
The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) has announced two major gifts totaling $7 million for its Caribbean Cultural Institute (CCI). The Mellon Foundation contributed an additional $2 million, while the Green Family Foundation (GFF) donated $5 million, leading to the institute's renaming as the Green Family Foundation Caribbean Cultural Institute. The funds will support operating expenses and the endowment of the CCI, which was originally established in 2019 with a $1 million Mellon grant. The Green Family Foundation, founded by Steven J. Green and Dorothea Green, has deep philanthropic roots in Miami, including ties to Florida International University and local art initiatives. Current CCI fellows include artist M. Florine Démosthène, writer Rianna Jade Parker, and anthropologist Celia Irina González.
Matthew Goudeau has been appointed as San Francisco's first-ever executive director of arts and culture, tasked with safeguarding the arts as a key part of the city's creative economy and identity. The appointment comes amid uncertain federal arts funding, but local arts funding in San Francisco is projected to increase this year under Mayor Daniel Lurie's leadership.
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Federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ICE under Operation Metro Surge, have resulted in the deaths of two American citizens, poet Renee Good and nurse Alex Pretti, near major art institutions. The violence and subsequent shelter-in-place orders have directly impacted the local arts community, forcing school closures, remote learning, and causing widespread fear.
Chris Reitz, an art historian and chair of Louisville’s Commission on Public Art, has resigned in protest over the city’s plan to restore a statue of King Louis XVI that was damaged by protesters in May 2020 following the police killing of Breonna Taylor. In an op-ed, Reitz argued that the $200,000 restoration cost is unjustified for a statue he deems beyond repair, and accused city officials of trying to erase evidence of the protests. The statue, created by Achille Valois, was originally erected in France in 1829 and gifted to Louisville in 1966; it was vandalized on the same day the city released 911 calls from Taylor’s killing.
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is navigating the civic distress caused by 'Operation Metro Surge,' a federal immigration enforcement initiative that has disrupted the lives of local artists, staff, and residents. In response to the atmosphere of fear and the shift to virtual schooling, the museum has positioned itself as a sanctuary, offering art-making kits, indigenous-led workshops, and public screenings to foster community resilience.
DePaul University has announced the permanent closure of the DePaul Art Museum (DPAM), effective June 30, 2025. University leadership cited the need for long-term financial sustainability and ongoing budget planning as the primary reasons for the decision. The closure follows a period of significant financial strain for the institution, which has already resulted in over 100 staff layoffs and cutbacks to other campus facilities like the Loop library.
Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is in crisis, with at least 18 staff members—about 25% of the department—leaving since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed former legislative director Clineé Hedspeth as commissioner last year, replacing Erin Harkey (who became CEO of Americans for the Arts). Multiple formal complaints have been filed against Hedspeth alleging bullying, and staff report a lack of communication and strategic direction amid funding challenges. A new advocacy group, Artists for Chicago, delivered a letter with 270 signatures to the mayor on April 14, expressing concerns about dysfunction and unmet needs in the arts sector.
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has inducted five new members into its Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), an exclusive program that provides long-term operational subsidies to private arts organizations operating on public land. The new members—Bric (Brooklyn), Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Manhattan), the Bronx Children’s Museum, the Noble Maritime Collection (Staten Island), and the Louis Armstrong House Museum (Queens)—represent each of the city’s five boroughs. This is the largest expansion of the program, now totaling 39 members, since the 1970s. A celebratory event was held at Bric on September 30, featuring remarks from DCLA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo and Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrión Jr., along with musical performances by each institution.
The city of Austin, Texas, is set to remove a 'Black Artists Matter' street mural and a rainbow crosswalk after Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Transportation to comply with a federal order from President Donald Trump. The July 1 directive from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy requires states to eliminate political messages and artwork from roadways, citing driver and pedestrian safety. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has identified about 16 locations that may be affected and warned that non-compliance could jeopardize $175 million in state and federal grant funding. The mural, painted in June 2020 in Austin's historically Black East side neighborhood by local artists with the Austin Justice Coalition and Capitol View Arts, was created in response to the police killing of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Miami arts nonprofits, including Dimensions Variable and Fountainhead, received termination notices from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) stating their federal funding would end May 31st because their projects did not align with presidential priorities. The cuts compound existing financial strain from state and local reductions, including Governor Ron DeSantis's veto of $32 million in state arts funding and a proposed $12.8 million cut by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who later restored $11.5 million after public backlash. Organizations now face canceled programming, raised fees, and uncertainty about reimbursing already-spent funds.
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) censored an exhibition titled 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity' after pressure from the Chinese embassy. The exhibition, which opened on July 24, featured works by exiled artists from Myanmar, Iran, Russia, and Syria exploring authoritarian alliances. Following a visit by Chinese embassy staff, several works were removed, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, and texts mentioning 'Hong Kong', 'Tibet', and 'Uyghur' were redacted. The curator, Sai, a Myanmar artist in exile, said the interference was not unexpected.
Grants from the Kordelin Foundation’s Rauma Fund for 2026 Awarded – Emphasis on Local Roots and New Experiments
The Alfred Kordelin Foundation’s Rauma Fund has awarded €30,000 in cultural grants for 2026, distributed equally among three recipients. The funding supports puppet theatre artist Aati Hanikka for an experimental underwater performance, Rauman Konserttiyhdistys ry for an immersive musical storytelling project in Old Rauma, and Tarvonsaari Art House for a series of pilot exhibitions.
A local art exhibition in Waterford City, Ireland, has sparked controversy after residents labeled its content 'immoral' and pressured local officials to shut it down. The installation, which depicted a love story through various media, led to a series of complaints directed at Councillor Eamon Quinlan and other local representatives who serve on the boards of community arts organizations. Despite the public outcry, Quinlan refused to intervene, citing concerns over censorship and the role of a director.