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A significant number of New York art galleries, including major players like Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, and Marian Goodman, will close on January 30 to join a nationwide general strike protesting expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The strike is a response to allegations of federal overreach, including the use of deadly force against protestors and the detention of Native Americans, which have fueled widespread outrage.

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A nationwide general strike, called for Friday, January 30, 2026, in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis, has prompted numerous art galleries and organizations to close their doors. Major commercial galleries like Gagosian, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace Gallery, alongside institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and the Drawing Center, are participating in the shutdown.

M HKA Remains Museum, SMAK Plan Scrapped

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The government of Belgium's Flanders region has reversed its controversial plan to close the M HKA contemporary art museum in Antwerp and transfer its collection to the SMAK museum in Ghent. Under a new plan called "M HKA 2.0," the museum will retain its collection, its museum status, and continue its programming, while SMAK will be operated by the regional government.

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President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and arts organizations across the U.S. are already feeling the impact. After a White House budget request in May that excluded the NEA, dozens of institutions received abrupt termination notices for their grant applications, with the NEA citing a shift in policy priorities to focus on projects reflecting the nation's artistic heritage as prioritized by the President. In protest, many senior NEA staff resigned or were asked to retire, leaving the agency in disarray. The cuts are part of broader federal efforts to defund cultural agencies, including the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, which has seen a 70-80 percent staff reduction and canceled over a thousand grants. Private foundations like the Mellon Foundation and the Helen Frankenthaler and Andy Warhol Foundations have launched emergency funding programs, but the consequences for artists, educators, and community organizations are immediate and destabilizing.

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Unionized staff at the Guggenheim Museum staged a rally outside the institution during a VIP preview for artist Carol Bove, demanding a more robust second contract. Members of UAW Local 2110, including conservators, archivists, and educators, are protesting recent layoffs that cut 7% of the workforce and left remaining employees with unsustainable workloads. The union is currently negotiating for higher wages, lower healthcare benefit costs, and improved job security following a grievance filed against the museum in February 2025.

Participating Artists and Curators Push Back on Venice Biennale’s Relocation of Israeli Pavilion, Call for Exclusion of Russia, Israel, and US

Seventy-three artists and curators participating in the main exhibition of the 2024 Venice Biennale have issued an open letter objecting to the organizers' decision to relocate the Israeli national pavilion to the Arsenale. They argue this move creates an intimidating atmosphere contrary to the late curator Koyo Kouoh's vision of "radical solidarity" and will necessitate a heightened security presence. The signatories, which include key curators tasked with realizing Kouoh's exhibition, also call for the exclusion of Israel, Russia, and the United States from the event, citing their governments' alleged commission of war crimes.

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A group of officials overseeing major UK cultural institutions, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery, have signed a public letter defending corporate sponsorship. Published in the Financial Times, the letter calls for an end to "relentless negativity" around private sector partnerships and is backed by ten organizations, including the Science Museum Group. It follows protests over Baillie Gifford's sponsorship of literary festivals due to its ties to fossil fuels and Israel, which led nine festivals to end partnerships in 2023.

UK Considers Charging Museum Entry: Morning Links

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The UK government is considering a significant policy shift by exploring entry fees for foreign tourists at national museums to address a funding crisis in the arts. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy indicated that the proposal, alongside a potential hotel levy, follows a review of Arts Council England. Since 2001, UK national museums have been free to all visitors, a policy credited with boosting tourism, but current economic pressures are forcing lawmakers to reconsider this model.

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A replica of a Christopher Columbus statue was installed on the White House grounds under the direction of the Trump administration. The sculpture is a reproduction of a monument that was toppled and thrown into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor by protesters during the 2020 racial justice movements. Created by artist Will Hemsley using scans of the original fragments, the project was previously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and has now been placed near the West Wing as part of preparations for the 250th anniversary of American independence.

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Hundreds of artists, gallery owners, and collectors staged coordinated sit-ins at major Spanish museums, including the Museo Reina Sofía, to protest the country's 21 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on art sales. Demonstrators gathered around Richard Serra’s 'Equal-Parallel/Guernica-Bengasi'—a replica of a work that famously vanished from storage—to symbolize the potential disappearance of the Spanish art sector under current fiscal pressures. The protests included demands for the resignation of the culture and finance ministers and calls for tax parity with European neighbors.

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Over 250 prominent cultural figures have signed an open letter protesting the abrupt departure of Devyani Saltzman from her role as Director of Arts and Participation at London’s Barbican Centre. Saltzman, who was appointed just last year to modernize the institution's programming, is set to leave in May following the recent arrival of new Chief Executive Abigail Pogson. High-profile signatories, including Salman Rushdie, John Akomfrah, and Isaac Julien, are demanding transparency regarding the decision-making process and the future of the position.

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The White House published an article on its website denouncing a range of artworks, exhibitions, and objects at the Smithsonian Institution, continuing President Donald Trump's protest against the museum network. The list included previously criticized shows, such as one about sculptures as signifiers of power at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture's displays on 'white dominant culture.' It also named new targets: a painting of a Black trans woman as the Statue of Liberty by Amy Sherald (which was pulled from a National Portrait Gallery show due to alleged censorship), Rigoberto A. González's 2022 painting 'Refugees Crossing the Border Wall into South Texas,' a stop-motion portrait of Anthony Fauci commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, and a papier-mâché Statue of Liberty from a workers' rights protest. The administration also objected to wall texts at the National Museum of the American Latino and the National Museum of American History's LGBTQ+ History display.

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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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Statues of contested historical figures are being reinstalled across the United States, signaling a reversal of the monument removals sparked by the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. A replica of a Christopher Columbus statue, originally toppled in Baltimore, was recently mounted on the White House grounds near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Other planned returns include a monument to Caesar Rodney, a slave-owning Founding Father, which is set to be displayed in Washington’s Freedom Plaza this summer.

Prominent German Art Foundation Accuses Top Culture Official of ‘Attempted Intimidation’

Jurors from the Kunstfonds Foundation, a major German contemporary art funding body, have accused Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer of attempted intimidation and political interference. The conflict erupted after Weimer requested the names of the independent jury members, a move the foundation views as a threat to artistic freedom. This follows a separate controversy where Weimer reportedly consulted domestic intelligence to exclude bookstores with left-wing leanings from a national award.

Venice Biennale Russia Pavilion Return Controversy

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The Venice Biennale is facing intense backlash following the announcement that Russia will return with a national pavilion for the 2026 edition, marking its first official participation since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and various international activists have called for Russia's exclusion, arguing that the platform is being used to whitewash war crimes and exert political influence. In response, the Biennale leadership has maintained a policy of non-exclusion, stating that any country recognized by Italy has an autonomous right to participate.

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The Venice Biennale is facing intense international backlash following its decision to allow Russia to return for the 2026 edition after a hiatus caused by the invasion of Ukraine. High-ranking politicians from 22 European nations, along with thousands of artists and curators, have signed open letters condemning the move as a platform for state-directed cultural diplomacy and war-crime whitewashing. The Biennale has defended its stance by claiming a policy of non-censorship, asserting that it accepts any nation recognized by the Italian government.

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The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art have announced they will cease contracting with the Minneapolis Police Department for security at events. The Walker's decision demands the MPD implement reforms, including demilitarizing training and holding officers accountable, stating 'George Floyd should still be alive.'

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The Trump administration has escalated its attacks on billionaire philanthropist George Soros, with the Justice Department calling for an investigation into his Open Society Foundations. The foundations, which provide substantial grants to artists and human rights organizations globally, are accused of potential racketeering, wire fraud, and material support for terrorism, based on allegations from the conservative Capital Research Center. Soros, a major Democratic donor, has previously been targeted by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who claim the foundations fund leftist protests. The Open Society Foundations have awarded $100,000 fellowships to numerous prominent artists, including Firelei Báez, Yto Barrada, and Nicholas Galanin, and provided $1.2 billion in funding in 2024 alone.

Urgent Request from Participating Artists and Curators of the 61st Venice Biennale

第61回ヴェネツィア・ビエンナーレ参加アーティストおよびキュレーターによる緊急要請

A group of 73 artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale, including Yoshiko Shimada and Bubu de la Madeleine, have issued an urgent demand to the Biennale's board to revoke Israel's participation. The collective specifically objects to the decision to relocate the Israeli pavilion to the Arsenale, arguing that its presence contradicts the curatorial vision of Artistic Director Koyo Kouoh, which emphasizes the dignity of all life. They contend that the military and police presence required for the pavilion introduces an atmosphere of violence and fear that undermines the exhibition's integrity.

Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts to close permanently

Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) is closing permanently and entering liquidation, effective January 30. The 33-year-old venue, a key hub for experimental art, has cancelled all programs and made its 39 staff redundant. The closure follows a series of financial and operational crises, including a fire-related closure, the pandemic, a staff dispute, and protests over its stance on Israel.

Minneapolis Artists Respond to ICE, DHS After Killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti

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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.

An Old Man Whose Egoscentrism Knows No Bounds

"Ein alter Mann, dessen Ich-Sucht keine Grenzen kennt"

More than 30 current and former jury members of the Stiftung Kunstfonds have issued a formal protest against German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, accusing his office of political interference and intimidation. The controversy stems from reports that the ministry requested lists of all jury members across various art institutions and bypassed jury decisions to exclude specific recipients from awards based on intelligence service reports.

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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.

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Two lenders to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) reported that their objects were removed from the museum’s galleries earlier than expected, raising concerns about the influence of President Trump’s recent executive order targeting “anti-American content” in Smithsonian museums. Amos C. Brown, a civil rights activist and pastor, lent a 1880 book on Black history and his father’s Bible, which Martin Luther King Jr. carried during protests; the museum cited the loan’s May expiration as the reason for removal. Liz Brazelton, who lent the diary of her great-great-grandfather—a lawyer who worked on behalf of Solomon Northup—said the diary was returned in March, six months before a 10-year loan agreement was set to end in September, with the museum citing an “internal gallery rotation schedule.” At least 32 objects have reportedly been removed, though the museum denied planned removals.

An Urgent Call From Artists and Curators of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026

A group of seventy-four artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale have issued an urgent letter to the institution's leadership, including director Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. The signatories are protesting the decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion to the Arsenale, placing it in close proximity to the central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," which was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The group argues that this relocation violates Kouoh’s curatorial vision of radical solidarity and introduces a threatening military and police presence into the exhibition space.

An open letter to La Biennale di Venezia calls out inaction in the face of global atrocities

A group of 74 artists and curators invited to the 61st Venice Biennale have issued an open letter to the institution's president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. The signatories are protesting the decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion to the Arsenale, placing it in close proximity to the central exhibition 'In Minor Keys' curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. The letter demands the exclusion of official delegations from countries accused of war crimes—specifically Israel, Russia, and the United States—and accuses the Biennale of complicity through its silence on global atrocities.

Nicholas Galanin pulls out of Smithsonian event, claiming censorship

Nicholas Galanin, a multidisciplinary artist and member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, withdrew from a symposium hosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), citing government censorship. The symposium accompanies the exhibition *The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture*, which President Donald Trump labeled as “divisive” and “race-centred” in a March 27 executive order. Galanin alleged that the event was made private with a curated guest list and that he was asked not to record or share it on social media. SAAM denied the censorship claims, stating the event was never publicly listed and that participants were encouraged to share with their networks. Galanin’s 2016 work *The Imaginary Indian (Totem Pole)* is featured in the exhibition.

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Damascus University in Syria has begun strictly enforcing a 1974 ban on nude models in its fine arts departments—sculpture, painting, engraving, and printmaking—threatening students with a failing grade if they use nude figures. Fine arts dean Fouad Dahdouh issued the directive, citing ethical and societal values, despite being a practicing artist who himself has created artworks depicting nude figures. Students have pushed back, calling the policy a violation of academic freedom and organizing a peaceful protest.

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President Donald Trump was booed while attending a fundraiser for the musical *Les Misérables* at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He arrived with Melania Trump to support the center, but faced a mixed reception of boos and chants of 'U-S-A.' The event followed Trump's controversial takeover of the Kennedy Center, where he fired the board of trustees appointed by Joe Biden and George W. Bush, installed himself as chair, and replaced longtime president Deborah Rutter. Several artists, including Ben Folds, Renée Fleming, Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae, and Rhiannon Giddens, resigned in protest, and the center has seen program cancellations such as *Hamilton* and Pride events.