Nicholas Galanin pulls out of Smithsonian event, claiming censorship - The Art Newspaper

Nicholas Galanin, a multidisciplinary artist and Sitka Tribe member, withdrew from a Smithsonian American Art Museum symposium, citing government censorship concerns following Trump's executive order targeting museum exhibitions.

Galanin announced his withdrawal on Instagram after the symposium related to "The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture" was made private with restricted recording and social media sharing. The exhibition was specifically identified as "divisive" in Trump's March executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which aims to review Smithsonian programming for what the administration considers inappropriate ideological content.

• Artist's work "The Imaginary Indian (Totem Pole)" is featured in the targeted exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Galanin argued the private symposium format with recording restrictions effectively censors participants and artistic discourse
• The controversy highlights tensions between cultural institutions and political oversight of museum programming and exhibitions
• Smithsonian spokesperson denied censorship claims, stating recording restrictions were due to participant consent issues rather than government pressure