The Trump administration's recent executive order has sparked outrage among artists, academics, and politicians, targeting the Smithsonian Institution by aiming to eliminate what the order describes as improper ideologies. The order specifically criticizes the Smithsonian American Art Museum's exhibit 'The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture,' which explores the role of sculpture in conceptions of race. Artist Roberto Lugo expressed fear regarding the administration's censorship of his work, highlighting the therapeutic nature of art amidst personal experiences with racism.
The creation of art allows me to process experiences. I have faced violence in my life because of racism, Lugo said. As a child, I was assaulted with a baseball bat for trying to play in the wrong neighborhood.
It's a scary time because you just don't know if your work is going to be used to help people understand one another or if it's going to be used as a tool to further divide people, he added.
Trump's order specifically criticized the Smithsonian American Art Museum exhibit The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture.
The Smithsonian Institution has come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology, read the order.
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