Trump's Culture War Targets America's Museums

[wing2000]

The Administration is targeting the Smithsonian museums.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Vice President JD Vance to eliminate "divisive race-centered ideology" from Smithsonian museums, educational and research centers, and the National Zoo.

"Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive." It goes on to say: "Museums in our Nation's capital should be places where individuals go to learn -- not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history."

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/27/nx-s1-5342914/smithsonian-president-trump-executive-order

 

[Merrill]

The Administration is targeting the Smithsoniam museums.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Vice President JD Vance to eliminate "divisive race-centered ideology" from Smithsonian museums, educational and research centers, and the National Zoo.

"Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive." It goes on to say: "Museums in our Nation's capital should be places where individuals go to learn -- not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history."

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/27/nx-s1-5342914/smithsonian-president-trump-executive-order

While I am hesitant to say Trump should take this route, I would also say that if it is true these institutions have sacrificed legitimate scholarship and science for political ideology, they should be called out and disciplined.

unless left-wingers want to say they wouldn't be angry if a natural history museum replaced its evolution exhibit with one on creationism, or if right-wing activists managed to get all references and exhibits pertaining to the labor movement and suffrage removed from the Smithsonian

we can argue about the ideology of the woke left, but that isn't the biggest problem with it. The biggest issue is that they rely on bad science, irrationalism, and rhetoric, instead of logic, scholarship, research. Their claims have been repeatedly debunked, and yet books like the 1619 Project (which is complete nonsense) still find their way into schools and institutions.

 

[essentialsaltes]

The order includes additional provisions seeking to reinstate public monuments, memorials and statues that were "removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology"

Welcome back, Confederate generals. Your value to this great nation (or at least the CSA) has been restored.

 

[wing2000]

While I am hesitant to say Trump should take this route, I would also say that if it is true these institutions have sacrificed legitimate scholarship and science for political ideology, they should be called out and disciplined.

Let's see some examples in the coming weeks to make that call. Is the goal to capture of all our history from different perspectives or something else.

 

[wing2000]

The order includes additional provisions seeking to reinstate public monuments, memorials and statues that were "removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology"

Welcome back, Confederate generals. Your value to this great nation (or at least the CSA) has been restored.

...we will see a monument to the J6'ers?

 

[Merrill]

Let's see some examples in the coming weeks to make that call. Is the goal to capture of all our history from different perspectives or something else.

Apparently, this is one of the exhibits the administration is objecting to

The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture

americanart.si.edu

The main issue that I see with this exhibit is not the sculptures, but rather the top-down "interpretation" of them. From the description, it seems like all of this stuff is grouped together into one frame, and then analyzed from a Neo-Marxist, or "Critical" lens, regardless of the nuance, original intention, or impulses of the artists themselves.

which is a classical example of the Intentional Fallacy and a projection of ideology onto art

this isn't about art, aesthetics, or even culture--it is about selecting historical artifacts, throwing them together, and then making political and ideological pronouncements.

you know who else did that? The Nazis, when they gathered together paintings and sculptures and pronounced them as degenerate, and examples of the decay of culture, and the evil intentions of those who created the works.

in this case it is the Marxists who say "look at these sculptures, they show how victimized the artists were by inherently racist and genocidal white people, and the class oppression endemic in the country"!

 

[Belk]

While I am hesitant to say Trump should take this route, I would also say that if it is true these institutions have sacrificed legitimate scholarship and science for political ideology, they should be called out and disciplined.

unless left-wingers want to say they wouldn't be angry if a natural history museum replaced its evolution exhibit with one on creationism, or if right-wing activists managed to get all references and exhibits pertaining to the labor movement and suffrage removed from the Smithsonian

we can argue about the ideology of the woke left, but that isn't the biggest problem with it. The biggest issue is that they rely on bad science, irrationalism, and rhetoric, instead of logic, scholarship, research. Their claims have been repeatedly debunked, and yet books like the 1619 Project (which is complete nonsense) still find their way into schools and institutions.

By all means, call it out. I fail to see where you get to discipline others for their sincerely held beliefs. That strikes me as over the line.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Apparently, this is one of the exhibits the administration is objecting to

The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture

americanart.si.edu

The main issue that I see with this exhibit is not the sculptures, but rather the top-down "interpretation" of them. From the description, it seems like all of this stuff is grouped together into one frame, and then analyzed from a Neo-Marxist, or "Critical" lens, regardless of the nuance, original intention, or impulses of the artists themselves.

which is a classical example of the Intentional Fallacy and a projection of ideology onto art

this isn't about art, aesthetics, or even culture--it is about selecting historical artifacts, throwing them together, and then making political and ideological pronouncements.

you know who else did that? The Nazis, when they gathered together paintings and sculptures and pronounced them as degenerate, and examples of the decay of culture, and the evil intentions of those who created the works.

in this case it is the Marxists who say "look at these sculptures, they show how victimized the artists were by inherently racist and genocidal white people, and the class oppression endemic in the country"!

From what I could glean from the description and the couple of pages available from the exhibit's photo book, the central thrust seems to be about trends in art - not necessarily interpreting the pieces themselves, but how, when put together, they tell a larger story or shed light on prevailing attitudes that are related or adjacent to the art.

Which... so what? That's what curators and art historians do. Virtually every museum exhibit attempts to provide some sort of context for what it's displaying and tell a story with it. Regarding this specific exhibit, the notion that racial tropes inform art/media is hardly novel or controversial. If you want to challenge its premise, you'd do it by demonstrating that these pieces aren't representative of their times, not by invalidating the exercise in the first place.

For being the supposed vanguards of the "[screw] your feelings" crowd, Trump/Vance et al really seem to be leaning into white fragility.

 

[essentialsaltes]

you know who else did that? The Nazis, when they gathered together paintings and sculptures and pronounced them as degenerate, and examples of the decay of culture

and Anti-German and Communist.

This EO labels things "anti-American ideology" and you have labelled it Marxist.

As dictator, Hitler gave his personal taste in art the force of law to a degree never before seen.

And that's why "Cats" may be coming to the Kennedy Center.

 

[Bradskii]

this isn't about art, aesthetics, or even culture--it is about selecting historical artifacts, throwing them together, and then making political and ideological pronouncements.

Art isn't (or cannot) be about ideas? Whut? There mustn't be any statements inherent in a piece of art?

in this case it is the Marxists who say "look at these sculptures, they show how victimized the artists were by inherently racist and genocidal white people, and the class oppression endemic in the country"!

You just made that up. There's nothing in the link that you gave that even suggested anything like that. Do you recognise some of the sculptures and know who the artist is and what his or her intention was?

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

The Administration is targeting the Smithsonian museums.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Vice President JD Vance to eliminate "divisive race-centered ideology" from Smithsonian museums, educational and research centers, and the National Zoo.

"Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive." It goes on to say: "Museums in our Nation's capital should be places where individuals go to learn -- not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history."

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/27/nx-s1-5342914/smithsonian-president-trump-executive-order

Reality: "America has been and still is to a degree racially divided."

*Museum puts together a display that highlights this fact*

Republicans: "WhY ArE yOu RaCiAlLy DiViDiNg AmEriCA?!!!!!11"

Also, "improper partisan ideology" is a chilling phrase. That could be literally anything the administration doesn't like. And I don't think anyone really has serious doubts about what that "ideology" is composed of or which why it leans politically.

 

[Merrill]

Art isn't (or cannot) be about ideas? Whut? There mustn't be any statements inherent in a piece of art?

You just made that up. There's nothing in the link that you gave that even suggested anything like that. Do you recognise some of the sculptures and know who the artist is and what his or her intention was?

I never said art isn't about ideas --but nice straw man attempt

and nice job deliberately misreading my post

 

[essentialsaltes]

 

[iluvatar5150]

are you unironically posting a slogan from Robin DeAngelo? "white fragility"

what educated, rational person thinks DeAngelo is some kind of insightful intellectual? She is literally the biggest joke on the left

I don't know where the term came from, nor do I generally care to use it, but it seems perfectly apt here.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

Reality: "America has been and still is to a degree racially divided."

*Museum puts together a display that highlights this fact*

and why does an art museum need to highlight this "fact" (which isn't really a fact--there are far more things that unite Americans than divide them)?

That there are things that unite does not invalidate or erase our history of division and knowing that history and being aware of it is important in understanding who we are as Americans. Bringing that awareness and educating the public about it is part of the museum's mission and purpose.

If I want bullish* CRT commentary about the country, and can go over to reddit. I don't go to the Smithsonian to get that

Then don't go to the Smithsonian. No one is forcing you. Heck you can even avert your eyes to the display or not enter that section. What are you afraid of?

 

[Merrill]

View attachment 362824

So history museums shouldn't have any exhibits which display Confederate soldiers, leaders, etc., regardless of context?

Maybe remove German soldiers in the WWII exhibits as well?

make the museum a safe-space?

 

[Bradskii]

I never said art isn't about ideas --but nice straw man attempt

and nice job deliberately misreading my post

You literally complained about ideology and politics in art. Do you want a museum that just exhibits pretty scenes painted with oils on a canvas? Do you want sculptures to be just wood or marble and to be as lifelike as possible? Art is soaked in politics. From Picasso to Banksy. Is it to be banned?

What Philistine madness is this? And name some of the sculptors and what their work was meant to represent to back up your complaints.

 

[Bradskii]

make the museum a safe-space?

That seems to be the aim. Heaven forbid that art should make a statement that Trump doesn't like.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

So history museums shouldn't have any exhibits which display Confederate soldiers, leaders, etc., regardless of context?

Maybe remove German soldiers in the WWII exhibits as well?

you see... you actually do understand. Yes, museums should display artifacts from times in our history where bad things were happening and how it shaped the culture. That's EXACTLY what the example exhibit you're poopooing does.

 

[Merrill]

You literally complained about ideology and politics in art. Do you want a museum that just exhibits pretty scenes painted with oils on a canvas? Do you want sculptures to be just wood or marble and to be as lifelike as possible? Art is soaked in politics. From Picasso to Banksy. Is it to be banned?

What Philistine madness is this? And name some of the sculptors and what their work was meant to represent to back up your complaints.

No, that is not what I said. Let's look at what I wrote:

"this isn't about art, aesthetics, or even culture--it is about selecting historical artifacts, throwing them together, and then making political and ideological pronouncements."

that means art exhibits should not be stripped of their aesthetic, cultural, or historical aspects so that someone can group them together and apply some political or ideological spin to them. In other words, the complaint (and I haven't seen the exhibit, just pieces of it) here is that the goal is not to educate the public, enhance culture, or give aesthetic enjoyment --it is to score political points

this isn't about the politics or ideology of the artist himself or herself (which I never indicated it was), it is about activists using art to push an agenda

as an artist and writer, I can tell you point blank, that most art is NOT "soaked in politics" --but a whole lot of bad art is. There are underlying ideas, concepts, feelings, etc. --but partisan politics and ideology is death to good art imho. It is lazy and patronizing