Trump Administration Moves to Sell Kehinde Wiley Painting Deemed 'Too Woke'
The State Department under the Trump administration intends to sell Kehinde Wiley's artwork 'Young Artists After Siamesas 1960', which was commissioned in 2013 for the U.S. embassy in the Dominican Republic. The painting has been taken down, and legal experts are currently evaluating the legitimacy of the sale. Officials have deemed the artwork 'too woke', referencing previous allegations against Wiley, which he has denied, as well as his remarks on race. This move is part of a larger campaign against 'woke ideology' during Trump's tenure. Wiley, who is recognized for creating Barack Obama's official portrait, depicted four Dominican artists in this piece. Erin Scavino, the director of Art in Embassies, previously organized an exhibition featuring American flags. Although there is no established precedent for selling art from embassies, a process for such transactions exists. The final outcome remains unclear, and Wiley's associated pages have been removed from the State Department's website.
Key facts
- The U.S. State Department wants to sell Kehinde Wiley's painting 'Young Artists After Siamesas 1960'.
- The painting was commissioned in 2013 under the Art in Embassies program.
- The painting was displayed in the U.S. embassy in the Dominican Republic and has been removed.
- The administration has labeled the painting 'too woke'.
- Earlier justifications included sexual assault allegations against Wiley (denied) and a comment about a work playing with the idea of 'finishing off white people'.
- Wiley painted the official portrait of Barack Obama.
- The painting depicts four young Dominican artists and is based on a work by Gilberto Hernández Ortega.
- The embassy staff had covered the painting with the American flag.
- Erin Scavino, director of Art in Embassies, organized an exhibition 'Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy'.
- Virginia Shore, former acquisitions director, said there is no precedent for selling embassy art.
- The Foreign Affairs Manual allows for sale with approval from the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.
- Art in Embassies website pages about Kehinde Wiley have been removed (404 errors).
Entities
Artists
- Kehinde Wiley
- Gilberto Hernández Ortega
- Celeste Woss y Gil
- Henry Taylor
- Barack Obama
Institutions
- U.S. Department of State
- Art in Embassies
- Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations
- Musée Picasso-Paris
- The Guardian
- US State Department
- US Embassy in the Dominican Republic
- New York Times
- Obama Presidential Center
- Sean Kelly Gallery
Locations
- United States
- Dominican Republic
- Washington
- Paris
- France
- New York
- Chicago