Episode 141
Art and Resistance: Smithsonian, FREE DC, LA, and Beyond
What happens when a president tries
to get the WOKE out of museums?
In this episode of ART IS CHANGE we follow the latest political attacks on the Smithsonian and other cultural institutions and explore how activist artists and institutions around the country are turning up the volume in response.
From DC Block parties powered by Go Go beats to high stakes opera in Detroit, artists and cultural leaders are stepping into the fray.
With escalating pressure from the Trump administration targeting exhibits in institutions and leaders, creatives across the country are beginning to push back.
In this Artists Change weather report:
- We explore how Executive Order 14253 is being used to reshape cultural institutions under the guise of American greatness.
- We'll hear the story of Free DC's music fueled protest movement reclaiming public space and voice,
- and discover how cultural organizers in LA and beyond are responding with art, activism and coordinated statements of defiance.
Notable Mentions
Here’s a clickable reference guide including people, events, organizations, and publications mentioned in the episode, each with a brief description and embedded hyperlink for further reading.
People
- Francine Prose Author and critic, noted here for warning that whitewashing history erodes democratic truth.
- Samuel Redman History professor at UMass Amherst, quoted on the unprecedented legal ambiguity of executive interference in museum operations.
- Justice Yadi Yad Johnson Community organizer and member of Long Live GoGo, using music to empower D.C. residents during unrest.
- Erika Hirugami Curator of the Abolish ICE Mercado de Arte in Los Angeles, which raised funds for immigrant rights.
- Thalía Gochez Photographer whose group show in LA helped raise money for legal defense efforts.
- Patrick Martinez LA-based visual artist known for protest-themed signage.
- Lalo Alcaraz Political cartoonist and satirist who released posters in support of labor leaders.
- Kiyo Gutiérrez Artist who used the LA River as a canvas for immigrant justice messaging.
- Nadya Tolokonnikova Co-founder of Pussy Riot, whose performance Police State became a metaphor for escalating ICE raids in LA.
Events
- Executive Order 14253 said to enforce cultural alignment with “American greatness,” used to justify censorship at museums.
- Free D.C. Go-Go Protests Music-based protest events reclaiming public space and demanding home rule for the District of Columbia.
- National Guard and ICE Raids in LA Referenced context for artists’ responses during federal crackdowns on immigrant communities.
- Detroit Opera’s Production of The Central Park Five An operatic retelling of the wrongful conviction of five Black and Latino teenagers. The opera won a Pulitzer Prize and became a form of cultural resistance.
Organizations
- Smithsonian Institution America’s national museum complex, under political scrutiny in the podcast for allegedly “woke” exhibits.
- National Museum of African American History and Culture A Smithsonian museum specifically called out in political attacks for its portrayal of race and slavery.
- Kennedy Center National performing arts venue whose programming has reportedly shifted under political pressure.
- Long Live GoGo Cultural movement using Washington D.C.’s native music style as a tool for protest and unity.
- Japanese American National Museum LA-based institution that joined public statements against military deployment.
- Chinese American Museum Cultural museum in Los Angeles advocating against authoritarian presence.
- LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Mexican-American cultural center that stood against federal overreach in LA.
- Grand Performances Outdoor arts presenter in LA supporting activist statements.
- MOCA - Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Hosted Nadya Tolokonnikova’s politically charged Police State performance.
- Detroit Opera Opera company that staged The Central Park Five amid political controversy.
- National Coalition Against Censorship Co-organizer of the “Collective Courage” statement defending artistic freedom.
- Vera List Center for Art and Politics New York-based academic hub for socially engaged art, co-organizer of the Collective Courage statement.
- The Center for the Study of Art and Community Podcast’s production home, supporting creative leaders working at the intersection of art and social change.
Publications
- The New Yorker Cited for commentary on cultural control and Trump’s branding of history.
- Albuquerque Journal Quoted Nadya Tolokonnikova on the real-life impact of her Police State performance.
*****
Art Is CHANGE is a podcast that chronicles the power of art and community transformation, providing a platform for activist artists to share their experiences and gain the skills and strategies they need to thrive as agents of social change.
Through compelling conversations with artist activists, artivists, and cultural organizers, the podcast explores how art and activism intersect to fuel cultural transformation and drive meaningful change. Guests discuss the challenges and triumphs of community arts, socially engaged art, and creative placemaking, offering insights into artist mentorship, building credibility, and communicating impact.
Episodes delve into the realities of artist isolation, burnout, and funding for artists, while celebrating the role of artists in residence and creative leadership in shaping a more just and inclusive world. Whether you’re an emerging or established artist for social justice, this podcast offers inspiration, practical advice, and a sense of solidarity in the journey toward art and social change.
Transcript
What happens when a president tries to get the WOKE out of museums?
Speaker A:In this episode, we follow the latest political attacks on the Smithsonian and other cultural institutions and explore how artists and institutions around the country are turning up the volume in response.
Speaker A:From the center for the Study of Art and Community, this is Art Change, a chronicle of art and social change where activist artists and cultural organizers share the skills and strategies they need to thrive as creative community leaders.
Speaker A:My name is Bill Cleveland.
Speaker A:From DC Block parties powered by Go Go beats to high stakes opera in Detroit, artists and cultural leaders are stepping into the fray.
Speaker A:With escalating pressure from the Trump administration targeting exhibits in institutions and leaders, creatives across the country are beginning to push back.
Speaker A: l explore how Executive Order: Speaker A:We'll hear the story of Free DC's music fueled protest movement reclaiming public space and voice, and discover how cultural organizers in LA and beyond are responding with art, activism and coordinated statements of defiance.
Speaker A:First, the Smithsonian Last week, the White House released a detailed list of Smithsonian exhibits it deems too woke, calling out works like an intersex inclusive progressive pride flag, a painting of refugees and depictions of whiteness at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as divisive, negative.
Speaker A:Administration critics argue this is censorship masquerading as oversight.
Speaker A:Just days earlier, Trump insisted that the Smithsonian focuses too heavily on how bad slavery was not enough, on America's brightness and success.
Speaker A:He's authorizing lawyers to comb through exhibits and his threatening funding cuts.
Speaker A:Then came another escalation.
Speaker A:Trump posted on Truth Social that the Smithsonian and other museums are the last remaining segment of WOKE and vowed to get the woke out of them.
Speaker A:His administration is eyeing a broader audit of cultural institutions potentially expanding well beyond the Smithsonian.
Speaker A: are rooted in Executive Order: Speaker A:Now those mandates are being enforced with great dispatch and scholars and artists are sounding the alarm.
Speaker A:One commentator warns when political power starts pulling exhibits from museums, it starts resembling historic authoritarian moves.
Speaker A:Another, Francine Prose, wrote that whitewashing history erodes democratic truth.
Speaker A:The New Yorker adds that this is less about security and more about reshaping America's narrative around Trump's personal brand.
Speaker A:Here's University of Massachusetts Amherst history professor Samuel Redman with his take there's really.
Speaker B:No precedent quite like this, but what makes this new and different is the direct executive assault on the institution as an organization.
Speaker B:And to your second part of your question, there is any of this legal?
Speaker B:I think all of us, including a lot of legal experts, frankly, are kind of looking around and wondering, like, what legal authority does a Truth Social post have?
Speaker B:I think all of us, myself included, are kind of shaking our heads trying to figure this out.
Speaker A:In short, cultural control is becoming a political project.
Speaker A:So this isn't just about censorship.
Speaker A:It's about what kind of stories America wants to tell about itself.
Speaker A:Meanwhile, at the Kennedy Center, Trump, now acting chair, has continued steering programming towards traditional values, sidelining DEI initiatives and canceling performances, including a children's musical and touring productions, as artists and institutions internally reassess affiliations.
Speaker A:So there's pressure on policy, programming, leadership, and identity all at once.
Speaker A:So what's the response?
Speaker A:Well, in Washington, D.C. artists are pushing back against the occupation of their city.
Speaker A:The Free DC movement is part protest and part cultural revival.
Speaker A:It's women led, focused on home rule, and deeply rooted in DC's identity.
Speaker A:One of their biggest tactics, Coco music.
Speaker A:The city's own Sound Free DC has been holding Go Go Free DC gatherings ward by ward, turning protests into block parties with music and movement.
Speaker C:So today, President Trump visited the US Park Police Anacostia operations facility to personally thank federal officers for their work.
Speaker C:At the exact same time, across town, hundreds of D.C. residents made their voices heard through the rhythm and beats of Go Go Music.
Speaker C:You gotta free dc.
Speaker C:You gotta free.
Speaker C:There is absolutely no circumstance that would justify this police invasion of Washington D.C.
Speaker D:It is the most American thing that we can do to push back against the overreach of government.
Speaker E:They're asking for conflict, telling their neighbors not to be scared.
Speaker D:Right now, it's very important for us to give them a sense of unity and pride.
Speaker E:Justice Yadi Yad Johnson is a part of Long Live Go Go.
Speaker E:A group that uses Go Go music to uplift the community during times of uncertainty.
Speaker D:We want to make sure that we encourage people to be safe, you know, helping people to get rid of that sense of fear that they've been feeling and nervousness and almost confusion because of this takeover that we've been going through.
Speaker D:So we want to help them understand that they can lean on us.
Speaker A:They've also organized art builds and wheat pasting sessions, covering the city with posters and visuals that send a clear message.
Speaker A:D.C. belongs to its people, not a federally controlled police force.
Speaker A:In the days after the guard arrived, musicians, sign makers, and performers marched from U Street down to the White House under banners like Free DC And Trump Must Go Now.
Speaker A:These weren't just protests, they were creative mobilizations now out West.
Speaker A:In Los Angeles, arts organizations and artists also stepped forward after the National Guard and Marines were deployed.
Speaker A:The abolished AIs Mercado de Arte, curated by Erica Hirugami, raised tens of thousands of dollars for immigrant rights groups.
Speaker A:Photographer Thalia Goetz's group showed brought in hundreds of people and more funds for legal defense organizations.
Speaker A:Several museums, the Japanese American National Museum, the Chinese American Museum, La Plaza de Culturo de Artes, and grand performances all signed joint statements condemning what they called the unconstitutional presence of the military.
Speaker A:Individual artists responded to Patrick Martinez created protest signage, Lalo Alcaraz released posters supporting arrested labor leaders, and Kyo Gutierrez used the LA river as a canvas for the message no human is illegal.
Speaker A:And at Moca Pussy Riots, Nadja Tolokonikova staged a performance called Police State during the unrest.
Speaker A:Here is Nadja on Albuquerque Journal describing what happened.
Speaker F:The piece started on June 5 and in a couple of days the raids started happening in Los Angeles.
Speaker F:ICE raids.
Speaker F:Absolutely gut wrenching and terrifying.
Speaker F:Families being separated, pregnant women being arrested, and people decided to step up and made a little demonstration against it initially.
Speaker F:And then Trump decided to bring National Guard to Los Angeles, which prompted a bigger response from Los Angeles community.
Speaker F:So effectively, in two days after my performance started, the Police State performance broke the fourth wall and spilled into the city.
Speaker F:So today I can say that National Guard is performing Police State instead of me.
Speaker A:Now in Detroit.
Speaker A: Detroit Opera's: Speaker A:Here's an excerpt from the Central Park Five from Fox to Detroit.
Speaker C:World My world.
Speaker C:I will make sure people see me here in my world.
Speaker C:This is my world coming to a world.
Speaker G:Yeah.
Speaker G:This is a performance of the opera about the Central Park Five performed by the Portland Opera.
Speaker G: ive black and Latino teens in: Speaker G: e Pulitzer Prize for music in: Speaker G:But now the Detroit Opera is presenting the Central Park Five for three performances.
Speaker A:Described as a cultural statement and a subtle act of resistance, the opera used performance to challenge censorship and reaffirm commitment to historical truth.
Speaker A:Nationally, a coordinated stand for artistic freedom has emerged.
Speaker A:It's called the Collective Courage Statement.
Speaker A:Through it, a coalition of over 150 cultural organizations and 320 artists and cultural workers came together in a public declaration titled Cultural Freedom Demands Collective Courage, organized by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the Verilys center for Art and Politics, the statement affirmed their commitment to resist political interference and uphold the independence of cultural institutions under pressure from the Trump administration.
Speaker A:Given that there are over 100,000 cultural organizations and more than 2.7 million artists in the US, you may be wondering, where is everybody?
Speaker A:Let's just say it's a continuing initiative and it's a start.
Speaker A:And we've included a link to the Collective Courage website in our Show Notes so you can sign on.
Speaker A:So what does all this mean?
Speaker A:Here are a few takeaways that rise up for me.
Speaker A:First, cultural institutions are a new battleground.
Speaker A:The Trump administration's aggressive push to reshape narratives at the Smithsonian and beyond isn't just political theater.
Speaker A:It's a strategy aimed at controlling who gets remembered, whose stories get told, and what values we celebrate.
Speaker A:This is censorship with a patriotic paint job.
Speaker A:Next, artists are not just reacting, they're beginning to organize.
Speaker A:From DC's block party resistance powered by Gogo, to bold artistic statements across LA and Detroit, creative communities are starting to defend themselves, setting the tone for civic resistance and reclaiming public space.
Speaker A:Finally, even though the pushback has begun, it needs backup.
Speaker A:The Collective Courage statement is a strong start, but as I said, with all those cultural organizations in this country and all those artists, the question remains, where's the rest of the chorus?
Speaker A:We need more voices, more risk takers, and more collective will.
Speaker A:This moment demands nothing less.
Speaker A:So if today's episode sparked something, please share it.
Speaker A:And if you know of a creative response happening in your community, big or small, we want to hear about it.
Speaker A:You can find all the links we mentioned, including how to sign the Collective Courage statement in the show notes.
Speaker A:Artist Change is a production of the center for the Study of Art and Community.
Speaker A:Our theme and soundscape spring forth from the head, heart and hand of the maestro Judy Munson.
Speaker A:Our text editing is by Andre Nebbe, our effects come from freesound.org and our inspiration comes from the ever present spirit of OOC235.
Speaker A:So until next time, stay well, do good, spread the good word, and once again, please know this episode has been 100% human.
