Trump’s Unhinged Attacks on the Smithsonian
The White House accuses the public institution of “extreme activism”; plus, an interview with queer icon Carmelita Tropicana.
In the Trump administration’s latest attack on the Smithsonian Institution, the White House published a 162-page report on July 4 accusing the organization of “extreme political activism” and “anti-White activism.” The document is a severe escalation of President Trump’s ongoing crackdown on diverse narratives and the telling of United States history. His administration goes after specific museum exhibits in the new report, including something as innocuous and well-meaning as a butterfly-shaped protest prop symbolizing resilience among undocumented immigrants.
It seems a fitting time, then, to revisit work that prods, challenges, and even mocks authority from the margins. Don’t miss Natalie Haddad’s interview with the hilarious, irreverent Carmelita Tropicana (aka Alina Troyano), a lesbian performance artist and doyenne of New York’s downtown theater scene who subverts the stereotype of the “Latin spitfire.”
—Valentina Di Liscia, senior editor
Trump Accuses Smithsonian of “Anti-White Activism” in Draconian New Report
More than a year after President Trump ordered his administration to investigate so-called “race-centered ideology” at the Smithsonian Institution, the White House has published a new report accusing museum leadership of promoting “extreme political activism.”
Published on July 4, “Saving America’s Story” was authored by the Trump-appointed Domestic Policy Council. Throughout the 162-page document, the council scrutinizes how the institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) portrays topics such as race, immigration, and gender. | Isa Farfan
Read MoreOther News
- A jewel heist took place early on July 5 at a museum in France. The band of thieves smashed several display cases on the gallery floors and made off with 27 pieces of fine jewelry worth approximately €4 million (~$4.5 million).
San Francisco Art Book Fair Celebrates 10 Years
Presented by Minnesota Street Project Foundation, SFABF returns this July, welcoming 160 independent publishers from around the world.
Queer Elders
Carmelita Tropicana Was Born Out of the Closet
Hyperallergic spoke with artist Alina Troyano about lesbian performance in 1980s Lower East Side, satirizing stereotypes, and embodying her iconic alter ego. | Natalie Haddad
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Bard MFA Presents 2026 Thesis Exhibition in Barrytown, NY
“Reassembly: The Class of 2027 Thesis Performances and Exhibition” will be held in the Bard College Massena Exhibition Center from July 11-19, 2026.
From Our Critics
The Ruthless Portraits of Elizabeth I’s Reign
An exhibition in London traces how depictions of the monarch projected an image of authority, power, wealth, and the right to be regarded as a god in all but name. | Michael Glover
Read MoreIn Two Chicago Exhibitions, Liberation Takes the Floor
Shows at MCA Chicago and Wrightwood 659 chart a path from colonial dispossession to the possibilities of dance, music, and community. | Laura Zornosa
Read MoreBooks
The Met Museum’s Staff Have Some Thoughts About the Art
A new book gathers essays by the museum’s curators, researchers, librarians, and conservators on everything from Renaissance portraiture to the work of Wendy Red Star. | Anna Lee
Read MoreMember Comment
Nancy Arthur-McGehee on “Everything Is Not Fine in the Art World”
From the Archive
Why Don’t We Talk About Race in Fairy Tales?
Characters in fairy tales “are white not by chance, but by design,” Kimberly J. Lau writes in a new book. | Tamar Boyadjian
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