Smithsonian Portrait Gallery Removes Wall Text Amid Trump Review
The “Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, which is open until August, has eliminated its explanatory wall text. Last summer, artists were informed that their written statements would not be featured. Jared Soares, who won second prize for his photograph of a Black man misidentified by facial recognition, voiced his disappointment, arguing that the absence of context diminishes the photograph's impact. This move coincides with the Trump administration's request for eight Smithsonian institutions, including the Portrait Gallery, to submit thousands of documents for review, aiming to replace “divisive or ideologically driven language” with more unifying and historically accurate descriptions. Notably, Stephanie J. Woods’s work, celebrating Afro-descendant cultures, lacks its accompanying text.
Key facts
- The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery lacks explanatory wall text.
- Artists were notified last summer that their written statements would not be included.
- Jared Soares won second prize for an image of a Black man misidentified by facial recognition technology.
- The Trump White House demands eight Smithsonian institutions turn over documents, including wall texts, for review.
- The review aims to replace 'divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.'
- Stephanie J. Woods’s work uses watermelon, hair braids, and a checkerboard pattern as a homage to Afro-descendant cultures.
- The exhibition runs through August.
- The removal of wall text has become a flashpoint for debate.
Entities
Artists
- Stephanie J. Woods
- Jared Soares
Institutions
- Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
- Smithsonian Institution
- Trump White House
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- United States