Leading U.S. Cultural and Historical Associations Condemn Executive Overreach
The recent letter from the White House, demanding a review of Smithsonian activities in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the United States, signals a dangerous new chapter in the politicization of cultural institutions. The administration not only questioned the Smithsonian’s programming but also issued a list of specific [...]
Behold the Fall of “American Greatness” at the Smithsonian Institution
UPDATE 8/11/2025: VICTORY! On August 8, 2025, the Smithsonian Institution reportedly installed a new display label acknowledging President Trump's two impeachments. The substance of the wall label is largely the same as the text in the temporary label that had been removed, though uses slightly softer language. As an [...]
Cancellation of American Sublime Lays Bare Reality of New Censorship Era
As an organization committed to protecting the freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression, the National Coalition Against Censorship is alarmed by reports that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery proposed amending the planned display of a painting because of fears that the work would attract the ire of President [...]
NEW TRAVEL BAN WILL HAVE COMPOUNDING EFFECTS ON CULTURE IN THE US
The Trump administration’s latest travel ban went into effect this month, affecting travel from 19 countries. It bars entry to citizens of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, and places significant visa restrictions on nationals of Burundi, Cuba, [...]
Contemporary Culture Requires Artistic Freedom—Especially in times of Political Crisis
Today the National Coalition Against Censorship condemned the decision made by the Whitney Museum of American Art to unilaterally cancel a performance organized by the Curatorial Cohort of its Independent Study Program (ISP). The museum claims that, in a politically provocative introduction of the work at an unaffiliated venue several [...]
CENSORED ARTISTS AND THEIR STORIES: MICHELLE HARTNEY
In March of 2023 Michelle Hartney’s collaborative mixed media installation work titled Unplanned Parenthood was met with censorship in Idaho. In March 2025, calls for censoring the work nearly succeeded again in Illinois. Hartney met with ACAP Director Elizabeth Larison and shared more about the project, and why she [...]