GROSS ART

04/11/2025

https://hyperallergic.com/1002373/japanese-american-national-museum-stands-up-for-dei/

Lately, I’ve been feeling worn down.

I’ve been posting a steady stream of news about arts, education, and cultural institutions under attack by self-proclaimed “culture warriors.” And while it’s important to stay informed, that drumbeat of bad news did take its toll. I felt demoralized.

So I’ve been looking for something else — for examples of resilience, resistance, and leadership in the face of these pressures.

Enter: the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles.

JANM isn’t backing down. Despite facing funding losses tied to political pressure, they continue to stand firm in their mission and values. In the words of JANM Board Chair Bill Fujioka, as quoted in the LA Times:

“Our community is based on diversity, equity is guaranteed to us in the Constitution, and inclusion is what we believe in.”

That’s the kind of clarity and courage I needed to see today.

Stories like this matter.

The institution said it would continue to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in the face of widespread government funding cuts and pressures.

04/01/2025

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/columbia-university-faculty-sue-doj-2625612

There’s a lot to unpack in this article—but what really stopped me cold was this quote. It throws Reagan’s famous “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” into a whole new, chilling light:

“We’re going to bankrupt these universities. We’re going to take away every single federal dollar… If these universities do not play ball, lawyer up, because the federal government is coming after you.”
—Leo Terrell, head of a Trump-era task force targeting higher education

An anonymous group of Columbia University faculty are suing the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the Trump administration's funding cuts.

03/29/2025

Quoting the article says it best - but a full read is warranted. Our freedom of expression is at stake!:

“Attacking the idea that telling the whole story of the United States is an ideological plot to cast the United States in a negative light testifies to a stunningly brittle insecurity about our nation and its past,” said Chandra Manning, a professor of American history at Georgetown University. “It seems to suggest that if we allow anyone to hear the whole story of challenges that Americans have overcome, our nation will shatter. The American people are not so fragile as all that,” Manning said.

Trump’s executive order demands an “ideological purity test” and “restores neither truth nor sanity,” said Adam Rothman, an American history professor at Georgetown University. “The president’s proclamation disrespects the thousands of sincere and dedicated researchers, curators, scientists, guides, interpreters, docents and countless other people who work hard every day to preserve and tell the nation’s story truthfully, and in ways that educate and inspire the American public.”

The order directs the vice president to eliminate what he finds “improper” from the Smithsonian Institution, including its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.

03/26/2025

Some good news from the Brooklyn Museum: layoffs have been paused — a moment of relief for the incredible staff who make the museum come alive.

And this also underscores just how fragile arts institutions remain in today’s economic climate – just $100,000 USD will make the difference for 20 staffers... at least for now.

While I’m heartened by this temporary reprieve, I’m also thinking about the toll uncertainty takes on morale, productivity, and long-term vision. Our cultural workers deserve stability and support — not just survival.

The arts are essential. Let’s treat them that way.

A city funding increase and voluntary buyouts for nearly 30 staffers mean the institution will hold off on further cuts, for now.

03/20/2025

Follow-up on the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) story: Keith E. Sonderling has been appointed acting director of the IMLS.

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/trump-names-new-director-of-museum-agency-imls-1234736241

From Sonderling’s official statement: “I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this administration ... We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

An interesting shift in messaging—what are your thoughts?

Less than a week after signing orders for dismantling, Trump appointed a new head of IMLS, Keith E. Sonderling.

03/20/2025

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/fred-eversley-light-and-space-sculptor-dead-1234735709/
Fred was one of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He will be missed... but his art shall live on! Fred, your ideas na perspective lives on!

Fred Eversley, a Light & Space sculptor who left his engineering job to pursue art, has died at 83.

03/20/2025

Los Angeles thrives as a global cultural hub not just because of its world-renowned institutions, but because of its vast network of small and mid-sized museums and nonprofit arts organizations. These spaces—often underrecognized—are the backbone of LA’s creative ecosystem, fostering innovation, accessibility, and diverse artistic voices.

This Hyperallergic article sheds light on their critical role: https://hyperallergic.com/997185/the-secret-life-of-los-angeles-small-museums-todd-lerew/

The LA Visual Arts Coalition (LAVA) is a great example of this collective strength, uniting organizations that shape LA’s dynamic arts landscape. Supporting these spaces means investing in the future of culture itself.

With a fair dose of whimsy, Also on View draws attention to museums off the beaten track, centering the region’s rich diasporic fabric and cultural niches.

03/17/2025

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5196704-trump-executive-order-federal-agencies-eliminate/

Why dismantle agencies that serve the public good?

The recent executive order to eliminate federal agencies includes cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—a key supporter of libraries, archives, and museums across the country. These institutions preserve our history, provide educational resources, and foster community engagement. Cutting IMLS weakens access to knowledge and culture in every state.

Equally troubling is the elimination of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), which plays a crucial role in coordinating efforts to prevent and end homelessness. As someone living in Los Angeles—the city with the largest homeless population in the U.S.—I can tell you firsthand that we need more solutions, not fewer.

These cuts are short-sighted and counterproductive. Strong communities require investment in cultural institutions and social services, not their dismantling. What do you think?

President Trump on Friday signed an executive order that aims to eliminate seven federal agencies, including ones that focus on media, libraries, museums and ending homelessness. The president dire…

03/14/2025

In honor of Raymond‘s archives going to the Getty, I’ve pulled up this photo by the inimitable, peripatetic, and quintessential LA photographer, Jim McHugh! Thanks Jim!

03/14/2025

https://hyperallergic.com/996133/getty-acquires-raymond-pettibon-archive/
Go Raymond!
And this quote by Matt Stromberg nails it:
"His [Pettibon's] early work was characterized by a stark graphic quality and dark, often ambiguous juxtapositions of text and image that peeled back the placid surface of American society to reveal the turmoil and violence underneath."
The turmoil and violence underneath... hmm... what's changed over the past 35 years?

The trove comprises drawings, notes, concert flyers, prints, zines, skateboards, and a surfboard, filling 28 boxes, as well as paints and materials related to the artist’s process.

03/12/2025

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/03/11/gsa-fine-arts-layoffs-trump/

Does this seem like a good idea to anyone?
Anyone?
I can't see the logic... the reasoning behind this is questionable. (And this is me being polite.)

The fate of artworks dating to before the Civil War is uncertain after the dismissal of most workers in the General Service Administration’s fine arts and preservation units.