Previously, the Smithsonian held that its museums were entitled to retain an artifact so long as its provenance rested on solid legal ground.
Smithsonian Institution
Posted inNews
House Passes Bill to Study a National Asian Pacific American Museum
“Unfortunately many remain unaware of the crucial role we’ve played throughout our history,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng, who sponsored the bill.
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Smithsonian Announces Landmark Decision to Repatriate Benin Bronzes
The institution says it will return most of the 39 artifacts in its collection to Nigeria for eventual display at the Benin City National Museum.
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The Smithsonian Museums Are Dropping Their Mask Mandate This Friday
Other major museums, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, still require visitors to be masked indoors.
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Smithsonian to Exhibit 120 3D-printed Statues of Women in Sciences
It will be the “largest collection of statues of women ever assembled together,” the institution said.
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Smithsonian Offers Jeff Bezos Unusual Naming Rights with $200M Donation
A written agreement between the two sides lacks a “Morals Clause,” barring the museum from removing the billionaire’s name if scandal hits.
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Land Artist Nancy Holt’s Papers Acquired by Smithsonian Archives
Also included are plans for two site-specific projects that were never fully realized: “Sky Mound” (1984–) and “Solar Web” (1984–89).
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Need to Vent About 2020? Tell the Smithsonian Your Stories
The National Museum of American History is seeking first-person accounts for Stories of 2020, a time capsule about the whirlwind year.
Posted inArt
The Lives of Female Art Historical Figures Will Now Be Transcribed and Available Online
A crowdsourced transcription project hopes to make the lives of women artists, art historians, art dealers, and gallery owners easier to keyword search and read.
Posted inArt
UCLA Study Holds Smithsonian Accountable for Better Institutional Latino Representation
A new study evaluates Latino representation across the institution. One of the authors, Chon Noriega, discusses the results and why they are indicative of a widespread problem in the art world.
Posted inArt
The Enduring Influence of Ikat Fabric, from Oscar de la Renta to Contemporary Design
Ikat patterns have become enormously popular in both fashion and interior design. But most consumers seem to be ignorant of the textile’s cultural origins.
Posted inNews
With Smithsonian’s Blessing, Humanoid Robots Invade Our Museums
The Smithsonian is the first museum complex to integrate the interactive androids.