Art News. Vasari Codex

article policy schedule May 15, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist

Column | The Smithsonian’s most contested exhibition is back on view, mostly intact

Columnist Philip Kennicott reports that the Smithsonian's most contested exhibition has returned to public view, largely intact, despite ongoing culture war attacks from the Trump administration. Since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, the Smithsonian has been a primary target for the administration's campaign against diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as historical narratives that address slavery, Native American genocide, and the struggles of marginalized communities.

newspaper The Washington Post open_in_new Read original

These exhibits took years to plan. They’re gathering dust during the shutdown.

Daniel Soma sat alone in a pop-up art gallery in downtown Washington, D.C., surrounded by Australian Indigenous artworks that had been planned for years but remained unseen due to a government shutdown. The gallery, wedged between a bank and a men's workwear store, was fully installed but empty of visitors, highlighting the immediate impact of the shutdown on cultural programming.