Trump's Executive Order Targets Smithsonian Exhibition Amidst Rising Censorship Fears in US Art Institutions

In March, Donald Trump enacted an executive order called 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History', which took aim at a 'corrosive ideology'. The directive referenced the Smithsonian American Art Museum's exhibition 'The Shape of Power', which concluded this month and examined racial myths in art, featuring the 1856 marble sculpture 'The Dying Tecumseh'. This year, US museums faced increased scrutiny, highlighted by artist Amy Sherald's withdrawal from the National Portrait Gallery in July and Nicholas Galanin's exit from a symposium in September. Trump sought to dismiss director Kim Sajet in May, leading to her resignation. A coordinated protest is set for November, while the MOCA in Los Angeles is launching 'MONUMENTS' in October. The US ranked 57th in the press freedom index this year.