Censorship and Compromise: Dane Nakama's 'Dear Uncle Tani' and Institutional Pressures Under Trump
In early 2026, Dane Nakama, a Japanese-Uchinanchu artist, inaugurated 'Dear Uncle Tani' at the Grand Central Art Center (GCAC) located in Santa Ana, California. This exhibition includes a dialogue with his great-uncle, Kyoshi 'Tani' Iguchi, a soldier from WWII, featuring a clay replica of the US and a wall adorned with an American flag that has 26 cut-out stars. Although Nakama suggested inverting the flag to challenge militarism, concerns were raised by GCAC staff. Director John Spiak provided alternatives, leading Nakama to maintain the flag's position while incorporating a drawing that discussed postponement. Additionally, the article highlights censorship issues at Pepperdine University's Weisman Museum, where curator Andrea Gyorody resigned after alterations were made to artworks, and the cancellation of Amy Sherald's exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery due to political pressure from Trump's 2025 executive order.
Key facts
- Dane Nakama's 'Dear Uncle Tani' opened in early 2026 at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, California.
- Nakama proposed an upside-down American flag to critique blind militarism, but GCAC staff objected.
- GCAC director John Spiak offered three options: delay, alternative, or cancellation.
- Nakama kept the flag upright but added a drawing documenting the original plan.
- At Pepperdine's Weisman Museum, officials altered works by Elana Mann and AMBOS, flipping an 'Abolish ICE' swatch and turning off a video.
- Curator Andrea Gyorody resigned after the alterations; the exhibition closed six months early.
- Amy Sherald canceled her Smithsonian exhibition 'American Sublime' after the National Portrait Gallery suggested including a video on transgender issues for her painting 'Trans Forming Liberty'.
- National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet quit after Sherald's withdrawal.
- Trump's March 27, 2025 executive order 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History' targets government-funded institutions.
- Since 2024, one third of American museums have lost federal grants or contracts.
Entities
Artists
- Dane Nakama
- Kyoshi 'Tani' Iguchi
- Elana Mann
- Art Made Between Opposite Sides (AMBOS)
- Amy Sherald
Institutions
- Grand Central Art Center (GCAC)
- California State University, Fullerton
- City of Santa Ana
- Pepperdine University's Weisman Museum of Art
- The Hammer Museum
- Smithsonian Institution
- National Portrait Gallery
- National Endowment for the Arts
Locations
- Santa Ana
- California
- United States
- Orange County
- Hawaii
- Pepperdine University
- Malibu
- Los Angeles