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Sasha Suda, the former director and CEO of the Philadelphia Art Museum, gave her first extensive interview since her firing last November to Philadelphia Magazine, alleging that the board attempted to strip her of the CEO title. She claims former board chair Leslie Anne Miller initially offered both roles but later tried to separate them, only allowing her to hold both temporarily. Suda says she rejected the revised offer, leading the board to backpedal. The article also reveals that Suda placed chief curator Carlos Basualdo on administrative leave in 2024, a decision that upset some trustees and may have contributed to tensions. Suda was abruptly fired on Election Day via email citing "cause," and she and the board have traded allegations over misuse of funds and unfair investigations.

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More than 100 artists and scholars, including Emily Jacir, Hans Haacke, and Michael Rakowitz, have signed an open letter defending Dr. Sara Nadal-Melsió, the former associate director of the Whitney Museum of American Art's Independent Study Program (ISP), whose position was eliminated in June 2025. The termination followed the cancellation of a pro-Palestine performance titled "No Aesthetic Outside My Freedom: Mourning, Militancy, and Performance" by artists Fadl Fakhouri, Noel Maghathe, and Fargo Tbakhi, scheduled for May 12, 2025. The museum canceled the event after viewing a recording where a performer asked attendees who "believe in Israel in any incarnation" to leave. Nadal-Melsió had published a protest letter against the cancellation, leading to her dismissal. The open letter also demands the reopening of the ISP, which was suspended for the 2025-2026 program.

Eugenio Viola, Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá

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The Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (MAMBO) terminated the contract of its artistic director, Eugenio Viola, earlier this month. Viola claims his dismissal came after he raised concerns with the board in September 2025 about deteriorating working conditions at the museum, concerns he says were shared by other staff. The museum stated the decision resulted from a comprehensive review and that it has begun searching for a new artistic director.

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The Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston has fired associate curator Erika Mei Chua Holum, leading artists Ja’Tovia Gary and Kenneth Tam to cancel or postpone their exhibitions. The turmoil follows the appointment of Laura Augusta as director and chief curator in 2024. According to a report in Glasstire, Holum was terminated in July over budget disputes she disputes, and Gary pulled her show after budget negotiations broke down. Tam’s exhibition was described as canceled by the artist but denied by the museum, while a show by Thania Petersen also faces uncertainty. The museum previously canceled a Guadalupe Maravilla presentation in February, citing construction concerns.

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The Smithsonian Institution has addressed the removal of a display at the National Museum of American History that mentioned President Donald Trump's two prior impeachments. The display, which had been on view since 2021 alongside references to Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon, was altered to a 2008 version that predated Trump's presidency. The Smithsonian stated the display will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in U.S. history, denying any external pressure from the Trump administration. The controversy follows earlier tensions, including Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet and artist Amy Sherald's cancellation of her traveling survey due to staff fears of political pushback.

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Kim Sajet, the former director of the Smithsonian-run National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., resigned after President Donald Trump claimed he fired her via social media. Despite Trump's demand, Sajet continued reporting to work until formally quitting. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution, intervened to block internal board suggestions to follow Trump's orders, leading the board to issue a resolution affirming its sole authority to fire museum directors. The controversy followed Trump's executive order accusing the Smithsonian of promoting a "divisive, race-centered ideology" and his post calling Sajet a "highly partisan person" and "strong supporter of DEI." Separately, artist Amy Sherald withdrew her mid-career survey from the National Portrait Gallery after being asked to remove a portrait of a trans woman posing as the Statue of Liberty.

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President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had fired Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., citing her as a "highly partisan person" and a "strong supporter of DEI." Sajet had led the museum since 2013, and her termination follows a series of executive orders targeting the Smithsonian Institution, including one in March that criticized "anti-American ideology" at its museums. The museum currently features the exhibition "America’s Presidents," which includes a portrait of Trump with a caption referencing his impeachments and the January 6 Capitol attack. The National Portrait Gallery did not respond to requests for comment, and no replacement has been named.

From hard borders to soft power: how did the art world fare in 2025?

The article surveys the art world's turbulent 2025, beginning with devastating Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed artworks and the political shockwaves of Donald Trump's re-election. Trump's administration targeted the National Portrait Gallery, whose director Kim Sajet resigned after threats of firing, while immigration crackdowns, tariffs on art imports, and attacks on diversity initiatives chilled the art community. The year also saw Venice residents protest Jeff Bezos's lavish wedding, Trump's gilded Oval Office renovations, and a major Veronese exhibition at the Prado that drew parallels between historical extravagance and decline.

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The Philadelphia Art Museum has appointed Daniel Weiss, former CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as its new director, effective December 1. Weiss takes over amid a legal battle with recently ousted director Sasha Suda, who filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit after her November 4 dismissal. The museum has escalated its defense, alleging Suda misappropriated funds prior to her firing. Weiss, who previously restored fiscal stability at the Met, is expected to guide the institution through this tumultuous period, which also includes backlash over a controversial rebrand.

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The National Labor Relations Board has accused Snøhetta, a prominent New York-based architecture firm, of illegally firing eight employees who supported a 2023 unionization campaign. The NLRB complaint alleges that managers tracked union supporters and improperly questioned staff about their sympathies, while Snøhetta denies the claims, attributing layoffs to business pressures predating the union drive. Separately, Singapore Art Week is spotlighting women artists from Southeast Asia, with the launch of Krystina Lyon's book "You Are Seen" and the National Gallery Singapore exhibition "Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise." Other news includes the death of Artforum founding editor Philip Leider at 96, LANZA chosen for the Serpentine Pavilion, and a Louvre heist caught on newly released footage.

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New York's The New School is offering voluntary retirement and severance programs to a large group of faculty and staff as part of a radical restructuring to address a $48 million deficit. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) reported that 40 percent of full-time faculty, about 169 staffers, received the offers, calling it the largest attempted firing of faculty currently taking place in the nation. The school is also eliminating over thirty programs, primarily in social sciences and humanities, and plans to combine several schools into a two-college structure, including Parsons School of Design. The school faces declining enrollment and has been warned by the Department of Education over campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Garden State Art Weekend: Celebrate Jersey’s Vibrant Art Scene, April 24-27

Garden State Art Weekend returns from April 24-27, 2025, with over 95 venues across New Jersey opening their doors for a four-day celebration of the state's art scene. Co-directed by artists Christine Romanell and Alison Pirie, the festival offers a digital guide and map for attendees to explore exhibitions, open studios, live demonstrations, and workshops at venues ranging from world-class museums to intimate artist studios. Highlights include the Montclair Art Museum, Newark Museum of Art (free admission all four days), Grounds for Sculpture, Zimmerli Art Museum, and special events like an iron pour for International Sculpture Day at Gardenship Art in Montclair. The festival's headquarters at Manufacturers Village Artists in East Orange hosts a kickoff party and a spring open house featuring over 65 artist studios.

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The White House is pushing for a dedicated display of fan-created portraits of President Donald Trump at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Administration officials, following a December tour, suggested installing a selection of artwork sent to the president by supporters, a move that would break with the museum's tradition of reserving multiple depictions for former presidents.

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The Philadelphia Museum of Art is reversing its controversial rebranding decision, abandoning the name "Philadelphia Art Museum" and the acronym "PhAM" after widespread backlash. The museum will retain its new griffin logo but restore the original name, Philadelphia Museum of Art, across all platforms. The rebrand, developed with Brooklyn design studio Gretel at a cost of $1 million, was rolled out less than four months ago but met with public mockery and internal turmoil. The reversal follows the firing of CEO Sasha Suda, who filed a lawsuit over her ouster, and the appointment of Daniel Weiss, former CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as her successor. Chief marketing officer Paul Dien also resigned amid the fallout. The board voted unanimously to undo the name change after a survey commissioned by an interdisciplinary task force.

philadelphia art museum reverses rebrand

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has reversed its controversial rebrand, announced just four months ago, and will return to its original name. The institution will, however, retain the new griffin logo and brand identity introduced in October. The decision followed a unanimous vote by the board of trustees, based on recommendations from a task force that surveyed staff, trustees, members, and the public.

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Daniel H. Weiss, the new director of the Philadelphia Art Museum, gave his first extensive interview to the Philadelphia Inquirer, defending the museum's board after the controversial firing of his predecessor, Sasha Suda. Suda was terminated in November for alleged misappropriation of funds, including a $39,000 salary increase over two years, which she claims was authorized and is now the subject of a lawsuit. Weiss, formerly president and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, stated the board does not need radical restructuring but acknowledged the museum faces a financial deficit and needs to address its widely ridiculed rebrand from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Philadelphia Art Museum (acronym PhAM). He has begun a listening tour with staff to assess problems, and the marketing chief who led the rebrand has since resigned.

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Sasha Suda, the former director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, has filed a lawsuit against the institution less than a week after her abrupt firing. The legal complaint alleges breaches of contract, bad faith, unfair treatment, and abuse. Suda, who served for three years, is seeking two years' severance and damages, represented by high-profile art world attorney Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel. Her ouster came shortly after the museum unveiled a controversial rebranding, changing its name from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the acronym PhAM and introducing an unpopular griffin logo. The museum has stated the lawsuit is without merit. Louis Marchesano, deputy director of curatorial affairs and conservation, is currently serving as interim leader.

philadelphia art museum daniel weiss director controversy

The Philadelphia Art Museum has appointed Daniel H. Weiss, former president and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as its new director and CEO, effective December 1. Weiss, who led the Met for eight years until 2023 and most recently served as a professor and senior adviser at Johns Hopkins University, will guide the museum through at least 2028. His appointment follows the abrupt ouster of previous director Sasha Suda, who was terminated for cause on November 4 and has since sued the museum, alleging board members falsely accused her of misusing funds. The museum’s board chair, Ellen Caplan, praised Weiss’s leadership experience but did not address Suda’s dismissal.

trump fires national council on the humanities

The White House fired the vast majority of the National Council on the Humanities, the advisory body for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), on Wednesday during a government shutdown. A letter from Mary Sprowls of the Presidential Personnel Office informed council members that their positions were terminated effective immediately. Only four members remain—all white men—despite a statutory requirement for equitable representation of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. The council typically comprises 26 scholars and humanities leaders appointed for six-year terms, and its meetings require at least 14 members. The dismissals come as the NEH has already faced severe cuts, including a two-thirds staff reduction in June and a proposal to eliminate the agency entirely in the 2026 budget.

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Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, the creator of the popular Instagram account Jerry Gogosian, announced she is winding down the project after seven years. The account, known for its sharp and often acerbic commentary on the art market, amassed 151,000 followers since its launch in 2018. Helphenstein initially ran the account anonymously, revealing her identity in 2020, and used it to mock dealer Larry Gagosian, comment on auction records, and document her experiences at art fairs. The account also had real-world impact, including prompting Gagosian gallery to drop a director after Helphenstein urged people to come forward with sexual harassment allegations. Helphenstein, who previously ran her own gallery in Los Angeles, said she has 'grown out' of the project and is looking toward her next endeavor.

smithsonian institution challenges kim sajet firing trump

The Smithsonian Institution issued a statement asserting its independence after President Donald Trump claimed he fired National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet. The statement did not name Sajet or Trump directly but affirmed that all personnel decisions are made by the Secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch, with board oversight. It followed reports that Sajet continued working despite the supposed firing and that the Trump administration had compiled a 17-point list of grievances against her. The statement also noted the Board of Regents directed the Secretary to ensure unbiased content in Smithsonian museums.

A Thanksgiving Weekend Art Escape: 3 Must-See Exhibitions in Philadelphia

Philadelphia remains a vibrant cultural destination despite recent turmoil, including the firing of Philadelphia Museum of Art CEO Sasha Suda and the closure of UArts. This article highlights three must-see exhibitions over Thanksgiving weekend: "Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which surveys the surrealist movement from a hemispheric perspective; a new art space blending art, nature, and architecture; and a retrospective of a once-misunderstood artist now gaining recognition.

The Disturbing Lessons of the 1937 ‘Degenerate Art’ Show

The article examines the historical context and enduring relevance of the 1937 Nazi-organized 'Degenerate Art Show' (Entartete Kunst) in Munich, which displayed hundreds of works by modern artists like George Grosz, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee as examples of moral and cultural corruption. It traces the concept's roots in 19th-century Social Darwinism, its adoption by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to denigrate modern art, and the gradual escalation of cultural purification policies after Hitler seized power in 1933, including the firing of museum directors and the construction of the Haus der Deutschen Kunst.

Trump claims he has fired director of US National Portrait Gallery

US President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he has fired Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), alleging she is a "highly partisan person" and a supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Sajet, who became the first woman to lead the NPG in 2013, has not commented, and the Smithsonian declined to comment. It remains unclear whether Trump has the legal authority to fire Smithsonian employees, as the institution is governed by a board of regents and receives partial federal funding.

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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.

Amid government intervention, Slovak artists and curators call for EU law to protect freedoms

On 25 August, the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) removed a large permanent installation by artist Denisa Lehocká, allegedly without her permission and in violation of contract terms. The removal, which Lehocká calls a "gross violation," occurred amid a broader crisis at the institution, which has seen multiple directors fired and mass employee resignations under the country's populist government. The incident is part of a pattern of government intervention in the arts, including the firing of museum directors by Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, who has targeted "progressive art." In response, Slovak artists and organizations like Otvorená Kultúra! have issued the Bratislava Declaration for Artistic Freedom, calling on the EU to adopt a European Artistic Freedom Act to protect creative expression.

Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá's director departs amid accusations she harassed staff

The Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (Mambo) is in a leadership crisis after its director, Martha Ortiz, resigned amid accusations of harassment and creating a toxic work environment. Her departure follows the dismissal of artistic director Eugenio Viola in February, which sparked an open letter signed by over 140 cultural figures demanding transparency. The museum's board chair, Ángela Royo, and financial manager Francy Hernández are temporarily overseeing operations while searches for both director and artistic director are underway.

trump fires commission of fine arts members

All six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency that reviews major construction projects in Washington, D.C., including President Donald Trump’s planned triumphal arch and a new White House ballroom, have been fired. The commissioners, appointed under former President Joe Biden to four-year terms, received termination emails on October 28, with several expected to serve through 2028. The move follows a pattern of political turnover at the agency, as Biden had previously fired Trump appointees in 2021. Architect Bruce Becker, one of the fired commissioners, noted the commission’s role in shaping the nation’s capital and reviewing plans for the new structure replacing the historic East Wing.

25 years later, artist David Adey continues to push the envelope

Artist David Adey is the subject of a mid-career survey, “David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies,” opening April 25 at the Oceanside Museum of Art. The 70-piece exhibition, curated by gallery owner Mark Quint in collaboration with Adey, spans 25 years of his career and includes a 2026 re-creation of his 2001 piece “The Lamb,” which features a reconstructed lamb carcass. Adey, now 53, originally created the work as a graduate student at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The show also features pieces like “Gravitational Radius” and “2,127 Rounds,” a sculpture made by firing an AR-15, Glock 34, and shotgun into cedar.

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Two senior staff members at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Chief of Staff Maggie Fairs and CFO Valerie McDuffie, are resigning. This follows the controversial firing of former director and CEO Sasha Suda in November, who later sued the museum for wrongful termination, and the recent resignation of the marketing chief who oversaw a short-lived and widely mocked rebranding of the institution.