Art at a Time Like This, a non-profit organization, has opened the exhibition 'Don’t Look Now' in New York City's Nolita neighborhood (October 10–25), featuring 24 contemporary artists whose work has been censored or blacklisted. Participants include Marilyn Minter, Shepard Fairey, Dread Scott, Danielle SeeWalker, and Yvonne Iten-Scott, whose pieces were removed from shows, rescinded from residencies, or targeted by officials due to political content. The exhibition responds to the Trump administration's crackdown on free speech in the culture sector, including mass layoffs at the NEA and NEH, proposed funding cuts, and canceled shows at institutions like the Smithsonian.
This exhibition matters because it directly confronts a growing climate of censorship in the U.S. art world, where 65% of museum directors report pressure to remove works or cancel exhibitions, according to a 2025 survey by Artists at Risk Connection, Pen America, and the Association of Art Museum Directors. By amplifying artists who have faced professional and political repercussions—such as lost funding, rescinded invitations, or canceled opportunities—'Don’t Look Now' highlights the chilling effect of executive orders and institutional self-censorship on creative expression. It underscores a systemic threat to free speech in the visual arts, particularly around topics like women's rights, reproductive justice, and police brutality.