Latest news with #Smithsonian
Fox News
24 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Artist pulls art from Smithsonian gallery after museum tries to alter her trans Statue of Liberty painting
The artist who painted former First Lady Michelle Obama's official White House portrait has pulled her latest show from a D.C. Museum this week after the space's owners wanted to alter one of her works to avoid offending President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Thursday. Artist Amy Sherald withdrew her solo show from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery after she was told her painting "Trans Forming Liberty" — a depiction of the Statue of Liberty as a trans woman — may be removed by the gallery. "I entered into this collaboration in good faith, believing that the institution shared a commitment to presenting work that reflects the full, complex truth of American life. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the conditions no longer support the integrity of the work as conceived," Sherald said in a letter to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch III. Sherald painted the portrait of Obama currently owned by the National Portrait Gallery. The work, which is a grayscale image of the former First Lady that features some brighter colors near the bottom of her floor-length dress, generated controversy when it was unveiled in 2018. Critics online savaged the more abstract elements of the portrait, and some ripped the work for not looking anything like Obama. Courting controversy once again, Sherald refused to have "Trans Forming Liberty" altered or removed from her "American Sublime" gallery that was set to debut at the museum in September. In a statement she produced Thursday that was shared with Fox News Digital, the artist said she was "informed that concerns had been raised internally" about the work. "These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition," she said. "While no single person is to blame, it's clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role." In a separate statement obtained by The Times, Sherald said that Bunch had proposed replacing the transgender depiction with a video of people reacting to it — an idea the artist rejected. "When I understood a video would replace the painting, I decided to cancel," she said. "The video would have opened up for debate the value of trans visibility and I was opposed to that being a part of the 'American Sublime' narrative." However, a Smithsonian spokesperson disputed Sherald's account of Bunch's proposed alterations. "The video was to accompany the painting as a way to contextualize the piece, "It was not to replace Amy Sherald's painting," they said in a statement. When asked for comment, the Smithsonian pointed Fox News Digital to its recent statement on the matter. "While we understand Amy's decision to withdraw her show from the National Portrait Gallery, we are disappointed that Smithsonian audiences will not have an opportunity to experience 'American Sublime,'" it read. "Unfortunately, we could not come to an agreement with the artist. We remain appreciative and inspired by Ms. Sherald, her artwork and commitment to portraiture," it added. Sherald's exit comes after Trump signed an executive order in March to remove leftist ideology and historical revisionism from government institutions. In the order, he called out the Smithsonian for having "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," he added. Trump also declared he would be firing the Portrait Gallery's director, Kim Sajet, for being a "strong supporter of D.E.I." Sajet resigned from her role in June. The White House provided Fox News Digital with a quote from Trump admin official Lindsey Halligan blasting Sherald's artwork. "The 'Trans Forming Liberty' painting, which sought to reinterpret one of our nation's most sacred symbols through a divisive and ideological lens, fundamentally strayed from the mission and spirit of our national museums. The Statue of Liberty is not an abstract canvas for political expression — it is a revered and solemn symbol of freedom, inspiration, and national unity that defines the American spirit." She added, "President Trump's Executive Order mandates that such institutions serve not as platforms for ideological division, but as sources of unity, inspiration and pride of our shared history. The removal of this exhibit is a principled and necessary step toward restoring that purpose."
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
The fight to keep space shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
The Smithsonian Institution has faced pressure from President Trump since March when he issued his 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History' executive order, which demanded an end to federal funding for exhibitions and programs based on racial themes that 'divide Americans.' Amid Trump's headline-grabbing gambits to remake the landscape of American arts and culture into a more MAGA-friendly image, another challenge to the Smithsonian flew largely under the radar. In early April, Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz introduced the Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act, which proposed to move the space shuttle Discovery from the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to a spot near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The act was folded into President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which Trump signed into law on July 4. NASA gifted the Discovery to the Smithsonian in 2012 and it has been in Virginia ever since. Discovery launched on its maiden voyage in 1984 and flew 39 Earth-orbital missions — more than any other orbiter. The Smithsonian considers it a key part of its collection and issued a statement to Congress objecting to the proposed move. According to the Hill, the statement noted that 'the case against relocating the orbiter Discovery is both philosophical and practical … It would be unprecedented for Congress to remove an object from a Smithsonian collection and send it somewhere else.' In late June, the Houston Business Journal reported that the Smithsonian estimated the cost of moving Discovery to Texas would be between $300 and $400 million, far more than the $85 million cited by Cornyn and Cruz in Trump's massive reconciliation and spending package. Since the passage of of the bill, the fight over Discovery has heated up. Earlier this week, Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat from New York, introduced an amendment to keep Discovery at the Smithsonian. The Appropriations Committee agreed to the amendment, which now moves to the Rules Committee before going to the House floor for a vote. 'The forced removal and relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum is inappropriate, wasteful, and wrong. Neither the Smithsonian nor American taxpayers should be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this misguided effort. I am grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues on this amendment and hope we can continue working together throughout the remainder of the Appropriations process to keep a treasured Smithsonian artifact where it belongs,' Morelle said in a statement sent to The Times. The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment on the evolving situation, or its quest to keep the Discovery in its collection. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, hoping to orbit a positive news cycle someday soon. Here's your arts and culture roundup for this week. The Corpse FlowerThe infamously stinky plant, formally Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum), 'produces the largest unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom' and is known for its pungent aroma. 'Green Boy,' one of 43 corpse flowers in the Huntington's collection may have already blossomed by the time you read this, so be sure to check it out as the bloom lasts only 24-48 hours. 'It smells pretty bad,' Brandon Tam, the Huntington's associate curator of orchids,' told Times summer intern Aspen Anderson in her story on the event. But for those who prefer to avoid the full olfactory experience, there's a livestream.10 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Tuesday. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Father John MistyJosh Tillman, whose Misty persona was described in a 2017 profile by Times pop music critic Mikael Wood as 'a convivial (if polarizing) chronicler of society's growing absurdity,' is joined by Lucinda Williams and Hamilton Leithauser for an eclectic evening of indie rock and folk.7 p.m. Friday. Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave. Phasmagorica: The Room Between WorldsLimited to nine audiences members at a time, this 'experiential paranormal encounter' proudly boasts that it is not a performance and does not use actors. Instead, sacred geometry, occult methodology, immersive light phenomena and 13 speakers of Dolby Atmos sound produce 'a fully-contained, tactile installation designed to provoke contact.' Guests are guided through a séance featuring spirit communication via arcane instruments and trigger objects, fortune-telling and psychological thresholds.7:30 and 9:15 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St. Austin Powers triple feature Yeah, baby! The academy's 'Summer of Camp' series continues with the shagadelic trilogy of 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery' (1997), 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999) and 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' (2002). Director Jay Roach will be in attendance.2 p.m. Saturday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. Billy WoodberryThe MOCA Artist Film Series presents the L.A. Rebellion filmmaker's 2016 feature, 'And when I die, I won't stay dead,' a documentary on the life of Beat poet Bob Kaufman. Best known for 'Bless Their Little Hearts' (1983), Woodberry assembled archival footage and photos, interviews with Kaufman's contemporaries, and readings from Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis and others, plus a jazz soundtrack featuring Billie Holiday and Ornette Coleman.3 p.m. Saturday. Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Queens of SoulThe peacocks and peahens will not be the only ones strutting and preening at the L.A. County Arboretum when the Pasadena Pops performs this salute to such divas as Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Adele and others, featuring hit songs such as 'Respect,' 'Proud Mary, 'I'm Every Woman' and 'Rolling in the Deep.'7:30 p.m. Saturday. L.A. County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Black Pasifika: Deep Sea ProtocolsWriter, relational architect and guerrilla theorist Neema Githere hosts this program exploring the links between climate crisis and technology across Melanesia. Githere will provide context and discuss deep-sea protocols and the consequences of technological accelerationism on sea-stewarding peoples from the Swahili coast to Melanesia with their grandfather, Dr. Gilbert Githere, founder of the Mombasa-Honolulu Sister City society. The filmic essay 'AI: African Intelligence' by Manthia Diawara searches for a more humane and spiritual control of algorithms. Ahead of the program, from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., the time-based somatic works 'Oceanic Refractions' and 'Cries From the Moana' will be shown on monitors in LACMA's Smidt Welcome Plaza.6 p.m. Sunday. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. L.A. Phil at the Hollywood BowlIn a week of debuts, Italian conductor Daniele Rustioni, recently appointed principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic bow leading the orchestra through Mendelssohn's 'Violin Concerto' (with soloist Veronika Eberle), selections from Berlioz and Liszt, and Respighi's 'Pines of Rome.' Two nights later, former Dudamel Fellow and current Boston Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Anna Handler makes her first Bowl appearance, leading the Phil in the world premiere of Eunike Tanzil's 'Ode to the City of Dreams,' Mozart's 'Concerto for Flute and Harp' and Richard Strauss' 'Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30.' Mendelssohn, 8 p.m. Tuesday; Tanzil, Mozart and Strauss, 8 p.m. Thursday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. — Kevin Crust Times art critic Christopher Knight was thrilled to see the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's exhibit 'Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia.' Currently installed in the temporary exhibition spaces of the Resnick Pavilion, the show consists of roughly 180 objects that have been in storage for years after being boxed up in preparation for the demolition of the museum's original campus and the debut of the new David Geffen Galleries. Catch the exhibit now, before it gets stowed away again, writes Knight, adding that it 'includes some of the most splendid sculptures and paintings' in the museum's permanent collection. Times classical music critic Mark Swed hopped a plane to Austria and headed for the small town of Bregenz, where a major arts festival that attracts more than 250,000 visitors in July and August and boasts a $31-million budget is hosted. The biggest draw at the bustling festival is opera, and the biggest show is a production staged each year on the Seebühne — a massive stage built directly on Lake Constance with bleachers to accommodate an audience of 7,000. 'This year's 'Die Freischütz,' Carl Maria von Weber's early 19th century opera about a huntsman who makes a very bad deal with the devil for a magic bullet, opened last week and runs through Aug. 17,' writes Swed. 'All 27 performances are expected to sell out as usual for the kind of spectacle that exists nowhere else.' Read all about the world-famous technical and artistic extravaganza, here. Johanna Burton is leaving the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, to become the new director of the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania, ICA Philadelphia announced Thursday. Burton became MOCA's first female director in 2021 after its recently named Artistic Director Klaus Biesenbach unceremoniously left his position for a job in Berlin. Burton's departure makes her the fifth director to leave MOCA since 2008. Burton will fill the role at ICA Philadelphia left vacant by Zoë Ryan who exited the museum to take over leadership at the UCLA Hammer Museum in Westwood after its longtime director Ann Philbin retired. MOCA did not respond to a request for comment about Burton's departure. Architect Paul R. Williams' L.A. building, Founders Church of Religious Science, is among five structures across the country picked to receive funding through the Getty Foundation's Conserving Black Modernism Initiative. Announced earlier this week by the foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, the money will support preservation plans for the buildings and further train caretakers in maintenance best practices. Another overarching goal is to increase public awareness of the architects' legacies and the buildings they created. The other four buildings receiving Getty funds are the ITC Administration Building in Atlanta, designed by Edward C. Miller; First Church of Deliverance in Chicago, an adaptive reuse project redesigned by Walter T. Bailey; McKenzie Hall in Eugene, Ore., designed by DeNorval Unthank Jr.; and Vassar College's 2500 New Hackensack building in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., by Jeh Vincent Johnson. Artist Amy Sherald has canceled her upcoming solo show, 'American Sublime,' at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, citing censorship after she was told the museum wanted to exclude a painting featuring a transgender woman holding a torch in a pose meant to evoke the Statue of Liberty. Sherald was told that the museum did not want to provoke a reaction from President Trump, who has brought anti-trans ideals into the federal government. In a statement to the New York Times, Sherald wrote, 'It's clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role.' The Ebell of Los Angeles has named Camille Schenkkan its chief operating officer. The nonprofit organization, which dedicates itself to 'inspiring women and fostering community through arts, culture and education,' was founded in 1894 and occupies one of the city's most storied historic buildings — a campus and theater designed in 1927 by architect Sumner Hunt. Schenkkan arrives at the Ebell from Center Theatre Group, where she served as deputy managing director. Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee introduced a proposal earlier this week to rename the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington after the first lady, Melania Trump. — Jessica Gelt Marlee Matlin shared her favorite Sunday activities with The Times — including a stop for pizza in Eagle Rock (hint: it's a classic). See you there!
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Crocheting prodigy celebrated on ‘GMA' now accused of child sex and false imprisonment
A crocheting prodigy who was once celebrated on 'Good Morning America' has been busted for allegedly having sex with a child, according to authorities. Jonah Larson, 17, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly having sex with someone under 16 with the use of force and for false imprisonment, according to online jail records, the La Crosse Tribune reported without further detail on exactly what he is accused of. Crocheting prodigy Jonah Larson, 17, was arrested Wednesday on child sex and false imprisonment charges. La Crosse County Jail Advertisement Larson captured national attention at age 15 when he amassed over 386,000 Instagram followers on an account for his crocheting business, 'Jonah's Hands,' according to a 'Good Morning America' feature hailing him as a prodigy and a rising philanthropist. He began learning the craft at just five years old by watching YouTube videos, according to the feature. The teen's business supports education initiatives in Ethiopia, where he was born, the outlet reported. Advertisement Larson was celebrated as a crocheting prodigy. Instagram/jonahhands A multicolor crochet flower tote bag he designed was set to appear in a Smithsonian exhibit in Washington, D.C., starting in August, the outlet said. Larson was freed from the La Crosse County Jail after posting $5,000 bond. Advertisement No further details on the alleged incident have been released. .
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pastoral play, AI portraits and a radical utopia for kids – the week in art
Andy GoldsworthyCaptivating retrospective of this countryside conceptualist who makes art with substances including sheep fleece, fern leaves, barbed wire and hare's blood. Read the review. Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, 26 July to 2 November Virtual BeautyThe human body and self in the AI age, explored by artists from Orlan to Qualeasha Wood. Somerset House, London, until 28 September Pablo BronsteinThe artist's fascination with architectural history is unleashed on the Temple of Solomon. Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, until 2 November Monster Chetwynd: Thunder, Crackle and MagicRadical utopian art for the kids as Chetwynd creates this summer's Tate Play installation. Tate Modern, London, until 25 August Darwin in Paradise CampA queer take on evolutionary theory and Gauguin's Tahiti paintings, by Japanese-Samoan artist Yuki Kihara. Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, until 3 August A disagreement over this painting, Trans Forming Liberty, in which American painter Amy Sherald poses a trans woman as the Statue of Liberty, has led to the artist cancelling her hit exhibition American Sublime from showing at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. In March, Trump signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian, claiming it had 'come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology' and the administration would restore it 'to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness'. The artist said she was told that the painting might be removed from the show to avoid provoking President Trump. The gallery later proposed an accompanying video of people discussing both the painting and transgender issues at large. She said this decision would have 'opened up for debate the value of trans visibility' which she rejected. Read the full story. A Norfolk woman handed over a 16th-century painting that was on Interpol's most-wanted list The Guardian's head of photography had her favourites at Arles photo festival Many of Russell Newell's photographs of Peckham, south-east London, have not been seen for the past 40 years The salty nooks of Folkestone were the setting for a bleakly brilliant coastal festival A pioneering female Renaissance artist got her due A visionary Australian artist got her first retrospective aged 90 Sign up to Art Weekly Your weekly art world round-up, sketching out all the biggest stories, scandals and exhibitions after newsletter promotion In the US, Black Girls in Art Spaces is bridging the cultural gaps You don't need a car in Los Angeles An exhibition is interrogating white-dominated AI Stormy Landscape With Ruins on a Plain by Georges Michel, c 1830s Nature is an unforgiving, awe-inspiring power in this French Romantic painting. Just like his British contemporaries Constable and Turner, Georges Michel worked in the open air. He mostly painted landscapes near Paris. He had a lot of imitators, hence the uncertainty about his attribution. You can see why this approach was popular. Even though the countryside spread out under those massive clouds is ordinary, even a bit nondescript, the artist finds sublimity in two archetypally Romantic themes: ruins and storms. The raised hill in the foreground is bleak and barren, and it's crowned with the shattered, eroded shell of a great house that time has reduced to little more than a fireplace and stumps of walls. Above it, low, dark storm clouds whip up to unleash brutal rain. It's an exciting blast of bleakness to hang in a cosy room. National Gallery, London If you don't already receive our regular roundup of art and design news via email, please sign up here. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
Artist Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian exhibit, citing 'culture of censorship'
Artist Amy Sherald, who is famous for painting Michelle Obama's portrait at the National Portrait Gallery, confirmed to ABC News in a statement on Friday morning that she had cancelled her upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian, 'American Sublime,' citing a 'culture of censorship. Sherald said she was informed that the gallery had 'concerns' about her painting of a trans Statue of Liberty, which she said led to 'discussions about removing it.' 'While no single person is to blame, it's clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role,' Sherald said in a statement to ABC News. 'This painting exists to hold space for someone whose humanity has been politicized and disregarded. I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities.' ABC News has reached out to the Smithsonian for comment, but Sherald's exhibit appears to have been removed from its website. Sherald's exhibit is currently on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City through Aug. 10, but was expected to travel to the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. and be on view from Sept. 19 until Feb. 22, 2026. This comes after the Smithsonian last month affirmed its autonomy from outside influences in a June 9 statement after President Trump announced that he fired National Portrait Gallery head Kim Sajet for being a "highly partisan person." Sajet resigned on June 13. Trump signed an executive order in March placing Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of supervising efforts to "remove improper ideology" from all areas of the Smithsonian and targeted funding for programs that advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology.' "I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship," said Sherald. "Especially when it targets vulnerable communities."
