The Smithsonian’s contingency plans state that the institution will “use available prior-year appropriations to remain open as long as funding permits.” When that funding is exhausted, the network of institutions will shut down federally funded activities, including closing museum budgets to the public. On Tuesday afternoon, the Smithsonian announced that it has enough prior-year funding to keep all museums and facilities open to the public “at least through Monday, October 6.”

During the last government shutdown in December 2018, funding lasted until January 1, 2019, when all Smithsonian locations closed, with most reopening later that month once federal support was restored.

Although budget standoffs are a fixture of U.S. politics, this one is unusually fraught because Trump has spent the past nine months sharply downsizing the federal government—and has hinted that the current impasse could give him a chance to push those cuts even further.—M.C.

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September

September 19: Art Organizations Prevail in Legal Battle Over NEA Grants

The National Endowment for the Arts headquarters in Washington, D.C. Photo: Graeme Sloan / Sipa USA / Alamy Live News.

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ruled in favor of four arts organizations challenging a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) policy that discouraged grant funding for projects promoting “gender ideology.” The ruling by U.S. District Judge William Smith declared the NEA’s grant review process unconstitutional, citing it as a “viewpoint-based restriction on private speech” that violates the First Amendment.

The policy stemmed from a Trump executive order issued in January 2025, prompting the NEA to update its compliance rules to bar grantees from supporting gender-related ideologies. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of the groups, including Rhode Island Latino Arts and National Queer Theater. Although the NEA quickly dropped its requirement that applicants formally pledge not to “promote gender ideology,” eligibility criteria remained unchanged.

The court found the policy “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act due to its vague definition and lack of connection to artistic merit. The ruling was hailed as a victory for artistic and expressive freedom. “This is an important victory for freedom of speech and artistic freedom,” Vera Eidelman, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, said in a statement. —M.C.

Read More: Civil Rights Group Scores Win in Fight Over Trump’s Art Grant Restrictions

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September 16: Trump Orders Information on Slavery Removed From National Parks

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia. Photo: David Underwood / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

President Trump has ordered the removal of signage and exhibits related to slavery from multiple national parks, reports the Washington Post. The materials removed include a historically significant 1863 photograph, The Scourged Back, showing the extensive scarring on the back of Peter Gordon, who escaped slavery. Attributed to two photographers, McPherson and Oliver, the photo became a powerful tool for the abolitionist  movement. The removal is in line with Trump’s March executive order requiring the Interior Department to scrub information supporting what it calls a “corrosive ideology.”

Trump also ordered information be removed from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, in West Virginia, where abolitionist John Brown led a raid, and from the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, where Washington lived and kept enslaved people. “This represents an enormous increase in federal power and control over the things we learn,” Jonathan Zimmerman, a University of Pennsylvania professor, told the Post, adding that it is “brought to you by the team that says education should be state and local.”

In August, Trump had posted to Truth Social that he was ordering a review of Smithsonian museum displays that, in his view, focused too much on “how bad Slavery was.” —B.B.

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September 3: Smithsonian Asserts Authority Over Programming

The Smithsonian has responded to the Trump administration’s directive to review its exhibitions and submit programming for federal oversight by asserting its institutional independence. In a letter to staff on September 3, Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said that the museum network had agreed to set up a team to review turning over materials to the White House, as requested, but to do so as an autonomous institution, without interference from the executive branch of government.

“I take my responsibility to steward the institution on behalf of the American people very seriously,” Bunch’s letter said, according to the New York Times. “Our independence is paramount.”

The Trump administration had previously demanded programming details from eight of the Smithsonian’s 21 museums within 75 days, aiming to remove “divisive or ideologically driven language.” —M.C.

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August

August 28: Smithsonian Latino Exhibition Quietly Shutters Until Spring 2026

Parts of the American Latino exhibition of the National Museum are seen at the Molina Family Latino Gallery in Washington, D.C. ahead of its opening in June 2022. Photo: Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images.

The Smithsonian’s Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History has quietly closed until Spring 2026. The news follows the White House’s publication of a list of Smithsonian artworks it deemed objectionable. Among them was illustrator Felipe Galindo Gómez’s 4th of July from the South Border (1999), a reproduction of which had been on view in the Molina gallery exhibition “¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States.” Galindo Gómez traveled from New York City to Washington, D.C., to see whether the work was still up after the list was published, according to Hyperallergic, which first reported the news. When he arrived at the museum, the exhibition was shuttered.

The Molina gallery, which serves as the temporary home of the nascent National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL), will now remain closed for nine months before reopening with a new salsa-themed show, “¡Puro Ritmo!” Smithsonian officials cited preparations for the U.S.’s 250th anniversary as the reason for its closure.

Earlier in August, the White House said it will conduct a comprehensive review of Smithsonian exhibitions, materials, and operations ahead of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary to ensure alignment with President Trump’s vision of American history.

Opened in 2022, “¡Presente!” had come under political scrutiny before. In 2023, the show sparked controversy among conservative Latino lawmakers and commentators who criticized its focus on oppression and claimed it promoted socialism, leading to a House bill that proposed to cut federal funding for both the gallery and the planned Latino Museum. Seemingly in response, the museum announced that the salsa exhibition would replace a planned show about the Latino civil rights movement of the 1960s. —M.C.

Read More: Under Fire From Political Forces, a Proposed Smithsonian Museum of American Latino Culture Hangs in the Balance

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August 28: Smithsonian Secretary Has Lunch With Trump

Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian. Photo: Robert Stewart/ Smithsonian Institution.

Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III met with President Trump at the White House on Thursday, August 28, as the president intensified efforts to reshape the institution’s exhibitions. The lunch, described by a White House official as “productive and cordial” in a statement to the New York Times, comes amid a sweeping review of Smithsonian museums ordered earlier this month. The administration has criticized the museum network for promoting “divisive narratives” and “race-centered ideology,” and directed them to audit wall texts, websites, and social media content for tone, framing, and alignment with “American ideals.” Bunch and Trump were joined by Lindsey Halligan, a special assistant to the president who is leading the White House review, according to reports. The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting.—M.C.

Read More: Can Trump Really Control the Smithsonian? Here’s What We Know

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August 28: Trump Revives Classical Architecture Mandate for Federal Buildings

The classical stylings of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Photo: Nicolas Economou/ NurPhoto via Getty Images.

President Trump signed an executive order mandating that new federal buildings in Washington adopt a classical Greco-Roman style, part of what the White House calls an effort to “make federal architecture beautiful again.” The order discourages modernist approaches such as Brutalism and applies to new projects nationwide, including courthouses in Hartford, Connecticut, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Architects had anticipated the new rules since January, when the White House issued a memorandum calling for federal buildings to honor “classical architectural heritage,” reviving a Trump-era order from his first term that President Biden later rescinded. The order also coincides with broader White House efforts to exert control over federal development, from redevelopment projects in southwest Washington to a controversial $700 million Federal Reserve renovation. Trump recently appointed allies, including his personal lawyer William Scharf, to the National Capital Planning Commission, raising further concerns about political influence. —M.C.

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August 24: Artist Amy Sherald Speaks Out About Smithsonian Censorship

Amy Sherald at the opening of “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Photo: Tiffany Sage / BFA.com.

In an op-ed published by MSNBC, Amy Sherald said the Trump Administration’s ideological crackdown on the Smithsonian amounted to “policing imagination.” The painter canceled her exhibition “American Sublime” at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in July after she was allegedly pressured to remove a painting of a trans woman.

“This country’s story has always been a contradiction,” Sherald wrote. “Slavery alongside freedom. Erasure alongside invention. Art carries what is too heavy for language to hold. And museums, at their best, give us the full picture rather than the flattering one. That independence is not ornamental. It is as vital to democracy as the freedom of the press. History shows us what happens when governments demand that museums perform loyalty. Nazi Germany weaponized them. So did the Soviet Union… Constraining museums does not protect the public. It impoverishes us.”

Read More: Amy Sherald Pulls Smithsonian Show Over Censorship Concerns

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August 21: Amy Sherald’s ‘Trans Forming Liberty’ and Fauci Portrait Named in White House List of Offending Artworks

The White House continued targeting the Smithsonian Institution on Thursday, August 21, publishing a letter on its website titled “President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian.” The epistle simply listed a range of artworks and exhibitions across the federal museum network that display images and wording that the Trump administration disagrees with. It included previously criticized shows, such as a Smithsonian American Art Museum exhibition about sculptures as signifiers of power and displays at the National Museum of African American History and Culture referencing “white dominant culture.”

Also named were specific artworks, including Rigoberto A. González’s Refugees Crossing the Border Wall into South Texas (2022) and Amy Sherald’s painting of a Black trans woman as the Statue of Liberty—which was never actually shown at the National Portrait Gallery since the artist canceled her traveling survey after museum staff allegedly advised her not to include the work. The National Portrait Gallery was further criticized for commissioning a stop-motion portrait of Anthony Fauci.

 

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Other targets included a papier-mâché Statue of Liberty holding a tomato, shown in the National Museum of American History, and a 2023 National Museum of African Art show focused on the fictional Afrofuturist kingdom of Drexciya. Wall texts from the National Museum of the American Latino and LGBTQ+ content at the National Museum of American History were also condemned.

It marked the second time that week the Trump administration publicly attacked the Smithsonian and museum programming on the whole. On Monday, the president posted on Truth Social stating museums are the “last remaining segment of WOKE.” Earlier in August, the White House issued a statement ordering several Smithsonian institutions to comply with a comprehensive review of their exhibitions and programming ahead of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary to ensure alignment with President Trump’s vision of American history. —M.C.

Read More: ‘Nobody’s Coming to Save Us’: How U.S. Museums Are Battling for Their Future Under Trump

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August 19: Trump Extends ‘Woke’ Criticism to Museums Beyond the Smithsonian

President Trump has broadened his attacks on U.S. museums, calling them the “last remaining segment of WOKE” and vowing to subject them to the same legal and financial tactics his administration has used against universities. His comments, shared on his social media platform Truth Social, followed the White House’s recent announcement of an audit of eight Smithsonian museums to ensure alignment with his March executive order, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. The audit will review exhibitions, programming, and public text, with potential content revisions. Trump accused the Smithsonian of focusing too heavily on slavery and oppression while ignoring America’s “success” and “brightness,” declaring “WOKE IS BROKE.” The move has drawn sharp criticism from professional associations, including the American Alliance of Museums, which warned such measures risk a “chilling effect across the entire museum sector.” Museum leaders argue that freedom of thought and expression is fundamental, and institutions must remain spaces for honest, fact-based engagement with history and culture. —M.C.

August 12: Smithsonian Museums Face Large-Scale White House Review Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary

The White House will conduct a comprehensive review of Smithsonian exhibitions, materials, and operations ahead of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary to ensure alignment with President Trump’s vision of American history. In a letter to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch, senior officials outlined plans to assess public text, online content, curatorial processes, collection use, and artist grants, aiming to emphasize “unity, progress, and enduring values” and remove “divisive or partisan narratives.”

“By focusing on Americanism—the people, principles, and progress that define our nation—we can work together to renew the Smithsonian’s role as the world’s leading museum institution,” reads the letter, which was signed by Lindsey Halligan, special assistant to the president and senior associate staff secretary; Vince Haley, director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The Smithsonian Castle. Photo: Shutterstock.

The White House letter instructs each Smithsonian museum to, within 30 days, submit requested exhibition materials and plans, designate a staff liaison, coordinate with curators on America 250 programming, and prepare for on-site visits to review current displays, themes, and visitor experience. Within 120 days, museums must start revising exhibits to replace divisive or ideologically driven language with “unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions” across all public-facing materials.

Initially, the review will focus on the National Portrait Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, and the National Air and Space Museum. These institutions are all located in Washington, D.C., where Trump just instituted a federal takeover, deploying the National Guard and taking control of the city’s police department amid claims of widespread crime. Additional museums and institutions will be examined in phase two of the review, according to the letter.

The Smithsonian is comprised of 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo. The review reflects the Trump Administration’s broader efforts to reframe cultural institutions and follows the National Museum of American History’s change to its descriptions of Trump’s two impeachments in exhibition texts earlier this month. White House representative Halligan said that the goal of the review is to keep museums “accurate, patriotic, and enlightening.” In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, the Smithsonian affirmed its commitment to scholarly rigor and factual accuracy, and said it is reviewing the letter in consultation with its Board of Regents, which includes Vice President J.D. Vance. —M.C.

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August 8: Smithsonian Softens Description of Trump’s Impeachments at American History Museum

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has updated its exhibit text on President Trump’s impeachments, altering language in descriptions of both proceedings. For the second impeachment, in 2021, the text now states he was impeached for “incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on January 6,” and notes he was acquitted after leaving office. Previously, it said he had “repeated ‘false statements’” that “foreseeably resulted in” violence. The description of his 2019 impeachment now cites “alleged” solicitation of foreign interference, according to the New York Times. 

The new text replaces a 2021 temporary label that included details about the impeachments of Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon, as well as Trump. The update also marks a shift in how the institution presents politically sensitive topics, amid heightened scrutiny over potential political influence on Smithsonian programming.—M.C.

August 4: Smithsonian to Revise Exhibit After Quietly Removing Trump Impeachment Placard

The Smithsonian Institution says it will “update” a display from the National Museum of American History following reports that a placard added to the display in 2021, which had mentioned President Trump’s two prior impeachments alongside those of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, was removed. The removal returned the display to its 2008 iteration, which noted “only three presidents have seriously faced removal.”

As the keeper of memory for the nation, it is our privilege and responsibility to tell accurate and complete histories. As has been recently reported, in July, a placard was removed from @amhistorymuseum’s exhibit “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.”  The intent of the…

— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) August 2, 2025

The Smithsonian wrote in an official statement posted to X that no Administration or government official had asked it to remove content from the display, but that it had removed the placard because it “did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation,” and it “blocked the view of the objects inside the case.” The institution stated that the presentation “will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation’s history.” —M.C.

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July

July 31: Smithsonian Drops Trump Impeachment References From Museum Display

An exhibition exploring revolutionary and social justice movements that formed the United States at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Photo: Maansi Srivastava/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has removed references to former President Trump’s two impeachments from a display. A temporary label referencing the impeachments of Trump and other former presidents had been in place since September 2021.

The change comes amid broader concerns about political interference at the Smithsonian and growing unease over how the institution tasked with preserving American history may be influenced by efforts from the Trump administration to assert greater control over its content.

According to the Washington Post, which first reported the news, the label was removed in July as part of a broader review of the institution’s content for bias. A museum official said the review was connected to pressure from the White House to remove the director of the National Portrait Gallery. After the story broke, the Smithsonian released a statement confirming that a revised exhibit will eventually include all presidential impeachments. A spokesperson emphasized that the original label was always intended to be temporary while a more permanent update was under development.—M.C.

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July 22: U.S. Withdraws from UNESCO for the Second Time as a New Bill Aims to Ban ‘Wokeness’ in Museums

A general view of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France. Photo: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

The U.S. announced it will withdraw from UNESCO by the end of 2026, citing the organization’s promotion of “divisive social and cultural causes” and alignment with U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The move, part of President Trump’s “America First” agenda, revives a similar break he initiated in 2017 that was reversed under Biden in 2023. Earlier, the Obama administration halted U.S. funding after UNESCO granted membership to Palestine.

UNESCO oversees 1,200 World Heritage Sites worldwide, including 26 in the U.S., and plays a key role in safeguarding cultural heritage and designating new landmarks. Director-General Audrey Azoulay said the withdrawal would have minimal financial impact, as the U.S. currently contributes just 8 percent of the agency’s budget.

The decision has raised alarm among cultural leaders, who say it reflects the administration’s increasingly authoritarian approach to arts and culture. On the same day, Sen. Jim Banks introduced a bill seeking to ban “wokeness” and “divisive narratives” at the Smithsonian, codifying Trump’s earlier executive order requiring “patriotic” interpretations of history. Critics, including Julie Trébault of Artists at Risk Connection, warned that the administration’s pattern of hostility towards “multilateral institutions and the cultural sector at large is deeply troubling,” and has already produced a “chilling effect” on creative expression and participation in culture. —M.C.

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July 1: Senate Passes “Big Beautiful Bill” That Includes $40 Million for Sculpture Garden, Strips Funding for Critical Social Services

Statue of George Washington Patriotic Washington Memorial Chapel Valley Forge Pennsylvania USA. Photo: By C P George/ Classicstock/ Getty Images.

On July 1, the U.S. Senate narrowly approved a revised version of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which include tax cuts for businesses and wealthy citizens, major spending cuts to social services like Medicaid and food stamps, increases to the national debt—and $40 million in funding for Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes. The sculpture garden initiative, listed on page 820 of the roughly 940-page bill, allocates funds from the beleaguered National Endowment for the Humanities’ 2025 budget to remain available through 2028.

The National Garden of Heroes has been a priority for Trump since his first term in office. It will showcase 250 life-size statues honoring a rather random mix of influential figures from America’s cultural, scientific, economic, and political history ranging from former presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to basketball star Kobe Bryant. Selected artists can receive up to $200,000 per statue, which must be crafted from traditional materials like marble, granite, bronze, copper, or brass and must be “life-like” rather than abstract.

The bill now returns to the House of Representatives for final approval before potentially reaching Trump’s desk by his July 4 deadline. —M.C.

Read More: Fine, Let’s Argue About Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes

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June

June 16: Trump Administration Violated Law by Withholding Federal Museum and Library Funds, Watchdog Finds

A nonpartisan government watchdog has found that the Trump administration broke the law by withholding funding for the nation’s museums and libraries. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) ceased operations and withheld congressionally approved funds after Trump issued a directive in March aimed at reducing the federal bureaucracy.

This marks the second recent instance where oversight officials determined that the administration unlawfully attempted to bypass Congress in reshaping federal spending to align with political goals, according to a New York Times report. Ethics officials deemed the funding delay an illegal impoundment, violating a 1970s law designed to prevent the executive branch from overriding Congress’s power of the purse. The White House, however, argues that these legal limits on presidential authority are unconstitutional, with Trump and his budget chief, Russell Vought, openly challenging them as part of broader efforts to reorganize government spending. The finding sets the stage for a potential legal clash over executive power and fiscal control. —M.C.

Read More: Trump Administration Sued Over Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services

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June 13: National Portrait Gallery Director Steps Down

Kim Sajet. Photo: Andre Chung for The Washington Post via Getty Images.

Kim Sajet has stepped down as director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG), the museum confirmed via email. Her resignation comes shortly after President Trump claimed on social media that he had fired her on May 30. The decision follows a closed-door meeting by the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, where Sajet’s role was reportedly discussed, though no official actions were announced, according to the Washington Post. Kevin Gover, the Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Museums and Culture, will take over as acting director.

Appointed in 2013, Sajet became the NPG’s first female director and brought a focus on diversity and contemporary relevance to the museum’s programming. Under her leadership, the institution launched the Portrait of a Nation Awards, introduced the Identify performance series, expanded its podcast offerings, and reopened the America’s Presidents gallery in 2018. She also oversaw growth in the museum’s endowment and annual funding. “I believe that stepping aside is the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart,” Sajet said in a statement shared over email, adding that she will remain a “steadfast champion” of the museum.—M.C.

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June 9: Smithsonian Says Staffing Decisions Are Made by Secretary Amid Standoff with Trump

The Smithsonian Institution has pushed back against President Trump’s recent claim that he fired National Portrait Gallery (NPG) director Kim Sajet, clarifying in a statement that all staffing decisions are overseen by its Secretary and Board of Regents, not the president, although Trump, Sajet, and the NPG are not mentioned by name.

The statement immediately followed a quarterly meeting of the Board of Regents, including Vice President J.D. Vance, in which the president’s alleged removal of Sajet was discussed. When Trump announced on May 30 that he had allegedly fired Sajet, he called her “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.” Despite Trump’s declaration, Sajet has continued to show up for work and conduct business since the announcement.

The White House’s grievances against the museum director included concerns about wall texts mentioning Trump’s impeachments, which the president deemed partisan. The controversy comes amid Trump’s broader pattern of targeting cultural institutions. In its statement, the Smithsonian reiterated its nonpartisan status and commitment to unbiased content, although it indicated it would assess museum staff as needed to maintain this standard. “The Board of Regents is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence,” the statement said. “We recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values.” —M.C.

Read More: Can Trump Really Control the Smithsonian? Here’s What We Know

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June 2: Trump Replaces His Official Portrait

A photo of U.S. President Donald Trump is displayed in the America’s Presidents exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery on June 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images.

The White House released a new portrait of President Trump, replacing a controversial January photo that critics compared to his mugshot, released by authorities in Georgia after he turned himself in for allegedly attempting to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. Changing presidential portraits this early in a term is rare, but Trump is renownedly image-conscious. The new photo, shared on the White House’s social media channels, shows Trump facing the camera directly with a neutral, unsmiling expression, wearing a blue suit and his signature red tie, against a dark background. The previous portrait featured unusual “up lighting,” which experts noted is uncommon and can create a sinister effect.

“In the new portrait, the lighting is more natural but still dramatic,” Jeff Whetstone, director of the visual arts program at Princeton University, told NPR. He added that the lighting shows one side of the face more than the other, creating a “duality,” similar to the famous 1941 portrait of U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as captured by Yousuf Karsh. The new portrait also does not include a U.S flag in the background, which has been customary for presidential portraits since at least the 1970s.—M.C.

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May

May 30: Trump Says He Has Fired the Director of Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery

President Trump announced Friday that he has fired Kim Sajet, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. In a post on Truth Social about the dismissal, Trump called Sajet “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI,” adding that her successor would be named shortly. But, according to the Washington Post, it is unclear if the president can remove Sajet, given that senior-level staffing decisions at the Smithsonian are overseen by its secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch III. Sajet was appointed to the directorship in 2013 by the Smithsonian’s then-secretary Wayne Clough; she was the first woman to serve in the role.

Her alleged dismissal follows Trump’s March 28 executive order that targets funding for Smithsonian programs that he deems have “promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” Two weeks before the executive order, Kevin Young, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, was placed on indefinite leave. —M.C.

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May 29: Judge Blocks Trump From Barring Foreign Students at Harvard—For Now

A federal judge in Boston announced that she plans to halt President Trump’s attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international students, a key component of the administration’s broader push to challenge the university’s finances and international reach.

The administration’s recent threats to revoke Harvard’s certification to enroll international students sparked concern at art schools heavily reliant on foreign enrollees. Many U.S. art institutions have significant international student bodies, with Chinese students making up the largest share, followed by South Korea, India, and Canada, according to a June 2 report by Artnews. For example, the School of Visual Arts in New York has an international student body of 50 percent, while Parsons School of Design has 35 percent, and California Institute of the Arts has 30 percent. These numbers have surged over the past two decades as declining public funding has pushed universities to rely more on full-paying international students. —M.C.

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May 13: Trump Fires Head of U.S. Copyright Office Following Report on A.I. and Copyright Infringement

A man holds a flag outside the Library of Congress on May 12, 2025, days after Donald Trump fired Carla Hayden, the head of the Library of Congress and Shira Perlmutter, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office. Photo: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images.

Shira Perlmutter, head of the U.S. Copyright Office, was pink-slipped over the weekend, just days after publishing a report about how the development of artificial intelligence could violate copyright law, according to the Washington Post. Published earlier this month, the report, titled “Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, Part 3: Generative A.I. Training,” questioned whether uses of copyrighted material to train A.I. programs could be allowed under the fair use doctrine of copyright law, which allows some unauthorized use of copyrighted material—for example if the new use is “transformative” or does not infringe on the market for the copyrighted material.

“Several stages in the development of generative A.I. involve using copyrighted works in ways that implicate the owners’ exclusive rights,” the report said. “The key question… is whether those acts of prima facie infringement can be excused as fair use.” It concluded that “government intervention would be premature at this time.”—B.B.

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May 8: Dutch Museum Rethinks Lending Artworks to U.S. Museums, Citing Drastic Funding Cuts

The Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, home to masterpieces like Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson, is reconsidering lending artworks to U.S. museums due to instability caused by President Trump’s funding cuts and ideological mandates. Director Martine Gosselink cited increasing political interference in U.S. museum operations and concerns over staff reductions, which could compromise the care and presentation of loaned works. Longstanding transatlantic partnerships are now at risk, she told the Guardian, adding that while future loans aren’t ruled out, her team will require “firm guarantees” to proceed. —M.C.

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May 6: Trump Taps Ex-NEA Chair as Agency Battles Budget Cuts

Mary Anne Carter, who led the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) during Trump’s first term, has been nominated to head the agency again amid mounting turmoil. The nomination follows Trump’s renewed proposal to eliminate the NEA and recent decisions to rescind millions in grants, prompting several senior officials to resign. According to the New York Times, which first reported the news on May 8, Carter was seen by many as a stabilizing figure in her previous appointment, during which time she helped the agency survive elimination efforts thanks to bipartisan congressional support. She described returning to the NEA as “coming home” and emphasized her belief that all Americans should have access to the arts. —M.C.

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May 6: Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction in Favor of IMLS

U.S. District Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. granted a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and other congressionally mandated government agencies. The ruling, in response to a lawsuit filed in April by 21 state attorneys general, stated that Trump’s March 17 executive order, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” “violates the Administrative Procedures Act in the arbitrary and capricious way it was carried out.” The judge also said it “disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government,” specifically, that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated. The AGs’ suit also aimed to defend the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. —B.B.

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May 5: Numerous NEA Grants Terminated Following Trump’s Proposal to Nix Agency

National Endowment for the Humanities building in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images.

Numerous arts organizations have had grants withdrawn following a sweeping White House budget request which proposes eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The affected groups include the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, the Portland Playhouse and Eugene Symphony in Oregon, Open Studio Project in Chicago, the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and the arts publication n+1. The grantees received termination emails that stated that the NEA was “updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President,” according to NPR. This round of cancelations follow the NEA’s updating of its grant guidelines in February, which terminated awards under its Challenge America program. In April, the NEH, which has seen a 70–80 percent reduction in its staff, canceled more than a thousand grants. —M.C.

Read more: All the Arts Organizations Impacted by NEA Funding Cuts

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May 1: Trump Strips Funding for Public Broadcasting

A rally calling on Congress to protect funding for U.S. public broadcasters, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), outside the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., March 26, 2025. Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images.

President Trump has signed an executive order to end federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which he has repeatedly accused of both left-wing bias and undermining journalistic independence since his first term. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to halt funding, citing coverage on trans issues and Covid-19, among others topics, as justification. PBS CEO Paula Kerger called the move “blatantly unlawful” and vowed to fight it. Trump’s push to defund public media aligns with long-standing conservative goals and has significant implications for arts and culture in the U.S. Both public broadcasters play a critical role in supporting arts education and access to the humanities. Shows like PBS NewsHour, Great Performances, and American Masters, along with NPR’s extensive arts coverage, help amplify artists’ voices, support local culture, and provide free, nationwide access to the arts. —M.C.

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May 1: Legal Pressure Mounts Over DOGE’s Arts Cuts

A new lawsuit filed Thursday, May 1, claims that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has hollowed out the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through aggressive cost-cutting. The lawsuit—brought by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the American Historical Association (AHA), and the Modern Language Association (MLA)—argues that DOGE, its operatives, and the NEH violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution. The NEH, a federal agency supporting historical and cultural institutions and initiatives, has allegedly failed to justify its drastic changes, they claim. Meanwhile, a district court judge overseeing the case on DOGE’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) indicated in court that he is likely to block the Trump administration’s efforts, according to Washington, D.C.’s WUSA9. —M.C.

Read more: Legal Resistance Grows Against DOGE Cuts to Cultural Agencies

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April

April 30: State Department Calls for Venice Biennale Proposals Emphasizing “American Values”

Abigail Winograd, Jeffrey Gibson, and Kathleen Ash-Milby pose at the entrance to the U.S. Pavilion at the Giardini during the 60th Biennale Art 2024 on April 16, 2024 in Venice, Italy. Photo: Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.

The U.S. government has opened applications for the 2026 Venice Biennale pavilion under new Trump-era guidelines emphasizing “American values” and “exceptionalism,” while banning any programming tied to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). According to Vanity Fair, which first reported the news on May 2, applicants face a compressed timeline, with selections due September 1—just eight months before the exhibition opens. In previous years, the $375,000 grant application has usually gone live about 18 months prior to the Biennale’s opening. The artist proposal for the 2024 Biennale, which featured the works of Cherokee-Choctaw artist Jeffrey Gibson, had been selected by July of 2023. The U.S. State Department’s new proposal requirements also demand applicants explain how their projects will serve U.S. interests and demonstrate “American exceptionalism and innovation.” The embattled National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which is responsible for convening the panel of proposal reviewers. —M.C.

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April 30: Biden Appointees Booted from Holocaust Museum Board

President Trump has removed several Biden-era appointees from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s advisory board, including Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Other dismissed members include Ron Klain, Tom Perez, Susan Rice, and Anthony Bernal, according to the New York Times. Emhoff criticized the move as politicizing Holocaust remembrance. The shake-up follows Trump’s history of controversial remarks about neo-Nazis and right-wing extremists, including his infamous “very fine people on both sides” comment after the 2017 Charlottesville rally. His DOGE appointee, Elon Musk, was also seen making a Nazi salute earlier this year. The White House said Trump will appoint new members who support Holocaust remembrance and the State of Israel. —M.C.

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Brian Boucher contributed reporting. 

This story was last updated on Monday, December 22, at 4:40 p.m. ET.