Art News. Vasari Codex

article policy schedule Oct 12, 2025 visibility 19 link 3 artists

smithsonian closes museums government shutdown 1234756500

The Smithsonian Institution has been forced to close its 21 museums in Washington, D.C., indefinitely due to a continuing U.S. government shutdown that began on October 1. The National Gallery of Art had already closed the previous weekend. The Smithsonian had initially used its own funds to stay open, first planning to close on October 6 and then extending operations through October 11, but the ongoing shutdown—stemming from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over health care policy—has now made closure unavoidable. The shutdown also threatens upcoming programming, including a planned Grandma Moses survey at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and a portraiture competition exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which has already been postponed.

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article news schedule Sep 18, 2025 visibility 10 link 3 artists

glenn lowry moma values trump 1234752653

Glenn Lowry, the longtime director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), delivered a farewell speech in June 2025 at MoMA's Party in the Garden, implicitly addressing the Trump administration's attacks on cultural institutions. He urged the museum to defend values of pluralism, freedom of expression, and minority rights, warning that the coming years would present consequential choices not seen since World War II. The article notes that while Trump has not directly targeted MoMA, he has threatened the Smithsonian Institution, and artist Amy Sherald canceled a National Portrait Gallery survey alleging censorship. Under Lowry, MoMA mounted a 2017 exhibition critical of Trump's travel ban, but has otherwise avoided explicit political programming.

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article policy schedule Aug 29, 2025 visibility 12 link 3 artists

trump lonnie bunch meeting smithsonian 1234750481

President Donald Trump had lunch with Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, on Thursday, according to the New York Times. This meeting comes amid ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the Smithsonian, including a White House list denouncing specific artworks—such as a painting of refugees at the US-Mexico border and Amy Sherald’s portrait of a Black trans woman as the Statue of Liberty—and an executive order claiming the institution has been influenced by “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Trump has also called for a legal review of Smithsonian displays, though his authority over the institution is unclear. The lunch was described as “productive and cordial” by a White House spokesperson, but no details of the discussion were released.

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article policy schedule Aug 22, 2025 visibility 16 link 3 artists

white house smithsonian artworks list refugees fauci 1234749773

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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article news schedule Aug 4, 2025 visibility 15 link 4 artists

amy sherald trans forming liberty the new yorker cover 1234748747

Amy Sherald's portrait of a Black transgender Statue of Liberty, titled *Trans Forming Liberty* (2024), has appeared on the cover of *The New Yorker* after the artist canceled a planned iteration of her traveling survey at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, alleging censorship. Sherald said museum leadership objected to the painting and proposed replacing it with a video discussion that would include anti-trans views. The work is currently on view at the Whitney Museum, where her survey 'American Sublime' runs through August 10. The Smithsonian later stated it sought to contextualize rather than replace the work, while the Trump administration praised the removal as a 'principled and necessary step' amid broader scrutiny of the institution's exhibitions.

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article policy schedule Aug 3, 2025 visibility 16 link 3 artists

smithsonian trump impeachment display update history museum 1234748710

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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article news schedule Jul 29, 2025 visibility 18 link 4 artists

john roberts smithsonian kim sajet firing 1234748455

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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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 42 link 9 artists

New US exhibition explores power of monuments – with help from Rocky

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," which uses the iconic Rocky Balboa statue as a focal point to explore the power and meaning of monuments across two millennia of boxing and celebrity culture. Curated by Paul Farber, co-founder of Monument Lab, the show features ancient sculptures, 19th-century works, images from boxing's golden age, and contemporary pieces by artists including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Glenn Ligon. The Rocky statue, placed on the museum's steps in 1982, attracts an estimated 4 million visitors annually, rivaling the Statue of Liberty.

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article news schedule Oct 9, 2025 visibility 16 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

As censorship rises, is there a future for truly political, truth-telling art?

The article examines the growing threat of censorship in the visual arts, focusing on two key incidents. In the US, the Trump administration pressured the Smithsonian Institution to review its holdings for content that contradicts "American exceptionalism," leading artist Amy Sherald to withdraw her entire solo exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery after the museum considered removing her painting *Trans Forming Liberty* (2024), which depicts a transgender person as the Statue of Liberty. Meanwhile, in France, Dutch street artist Judith de Leeuw unveiled a monumental mural in Roubaix showing the Statue of Liberty covering its eyes in shame, protesting global migrant injustice, which went viral online.

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museum exhibitions schedule Sep 4, 2025 visibility 23 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

Baltimore Museum of Art to Host Amy Sherald Show After Artist’s Smithsonian Withdrawal

Amy Sherald has moved her touring exhibition "American Sublime" to the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) after withdrawing it from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) over censorship concerns. The show, previously at the Whitney Museum of American Art, will open at the BMA on November 3 and run until April 5, 2026. Sherald pulled the exhibition from the Smithsonian-affiliated NPG after she said the institution wanted to replace her painting "Trans Forming Liberty" (2024), which depicts the Statue of Liberty as a trans woman, with a video providing context on transgender issues. The BMA, which had already planned to honor Sherald with its "Artist Who Inspires" award, will feature works including her portrait of Michelle Obama, "Breonna Taylor" (2020), and the contested painting.

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museum exhibitions schedule Sep 3, 2025 visibility 20 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

Amy Sherald Exhibition Lands at Baltimore Museum of Art After Artist Canceled Presentation at Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery Over Censorship Concerns

Amy Sherald's mid-career retrospective, "American Sublime," will open at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in November after the artist canceled its presentation at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Sherald withdrew the exhibition in July, citing censorship concerns over the museum's internal discussions about removing her painting "Trans Forming Liberty" (2024), which depicts a Black trans woman posed like the Statue of Liberty. The show, featuring about 40 works from 2007 to 2024, previously traveled to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, where the contested portrait was included. The BMA version will also feature the painting.

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article news schedule Jul 29, 2025 visibility 24 link 15 artists, 1 gallery

Amy Sherald Withdrew 'American Sublime' Exhibition From Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Citing 'Culture of Censorship'

Amy Sherald has withdrawn her exhibition 'American Sublime' from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, citing a 'culture of censorship' after the museum raised concerns about including her painting 'Trans Forming Liberty' (2024), a portrait of a trans woman posed like the Statue of Liberty. The show, slated to open in September, would have been the first solo exhibition of a Black female artist at the museum since it opened in 1968. Sherald stated that institutional fear shaped by political hostility toward trans lives influenced the museum's request to remove the work, and she decided to cancel the show to preserve the integrity of her vision.

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candle obituary schedule May 9, 2025 visibility 12 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

ana pellicer sculptor dead 1234741800

Ana Pellicer, a Mexican sculptor celebrated for her monumental copper creations, has died at age 79. Mexico’s culture ministry announced her death this week without specifying a cause. Pellicer gained international recognition later in life for the oversized jewelry she created for the Statue of Liberty, including a 36-foot-tall necklace exhibited at MoMA PS1 in New York in 2018 as part of the show “Body Armor.” Born in Mexico City in 1946, she spent much of her career in the shadow of her husband, sculptor James Metcalf, and together they trained female artisans in Santa Clara del Cobre in ancient copper techniques, founding the Centro de Acción Educativa.

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article policy schedule Oct 6, 2025 source 7 sources visibility 15 link 1 artist

where to go what to expect amid us government shutdown 2025 1234755512

The United States government shutdown, which began on October 1 after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement, has forced the closure of numerous federally operated museums, historic sites, and national parks. While some outdoor monuments and parks remain accessible, many are understaffed and operating with limited services. In Washington, D.C., sites like the Library of Congress, National Archives Museum, and Washington Monument are closed, while Smithsonian-run institutions remain open only through October 11 using prior funds. In New York, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain open, but the lack of uniformity across agencies has created confusion for visitors.

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article news schedule Dec 31, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

norman rockwell antifa department of homeland security 1234768466

Daisy Rockwell, granddaughter of Norman Rockwell, stated in an interview with the Bulwark that her grandfather was "antifa," pushing back against recent uses of his paintings by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Over the summer, DHS posted cropped and edited versions of Rockwell's works, including "Salute the Flag" (1971) and "Working on the Statue of Liberty" (1946), with captions urging readers to "protect your homeland" and "defend your culture." The Rockwell family had already publicly rebutted these posts in a USA Today op-ed, arguing that Rockwell would have been "devastated" to see his art used to promote persecution of immigrant communities and people of color.

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article news schedule Nov 4, 2025 visibility 12 link 3 artists

norman rockwell family speaks out about department of homeland security misuse of artwork 1234760017

The descendants of Norman Rockwell have publicly condemned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for using reproductions of Rockwell's paintings on social media to promote anti-immigrant rhetoric. Since August, DHS posts on X, Instagram, and Facebook have featured Rockwell's works such as "Salute the Flag" (1971), "Working on the Statue of Liberty" (1946), and "And Daniel Boone Comes to Life on the Underwood Portable" (1923), overlaid with captions like "Protect our American way of life" and "Protect your homeland and defend your culture." The Rockwell family responded with an op-ed in USA Today, arguing that the artist would have been "devastated" by this misuse, and provided context about his later civil rights-themed works.

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museum exhibitions schedule Sep 3, 2025 visibility 19 link 7 artists

Amy Sherald's canceled Smithsonian art show comes to Baltimore

Artist Amy Sherald has canceled her scheduled exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., due to censorship concerns over her painting "Trans Forming Liberty," which depicts the Statue of Liberty as a Black trans woman. The exhibition, titled "Amy Sherald: American Sublime," will instead travel to the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), where it will run from November 2, 2025, to April 5, 2026. Sherald will also receive one of the museum's "Artist Who Inspires" awards at its 2025 BMA Ball on November 22. The show is a mid-career survey of Sherald's work, previously shown at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

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museum exhibitions schedule Mar 25, 2026 visibility 39 link 27 artists, 1 gallery

Hopkins Bloomberg Center exhibition to explore American art as cultural diplomacy

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center is launching a new exhibition titled "Artistic Generosity and the American Artist Abroad," showcasing four decades of American art commissioned for U.S. embassies worldwide. Opening April 7 at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, the show features site-specific commissions, prints, and photographs from the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) collection, including works by Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, and Julie Mehretu.

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