Smithsonian Chief Rejects White House Criticism as Sharjah Names New Museum President
A sharp dispute over the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has placed museum policy, public memory, and political pressure in the same frame. Lonnie G. Bunch said a White House report published on July 4 that accused the museum of erasing U.S. heritage was unfair and did not accurately describe the institution’s work.
In a staff memo sent Tuesday, Bunch wrote that the report was “not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.” The White House document had accused Smithsonian leaders of “extreme political activism” and of adopting an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance. Bunch responded that the Smithsonian’s work is grounded in scholarship, accuracy, and a commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story. He said the institution would continue reviewing the report and comment further as needed.
The same roundup brought another major museum appointment: Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi was named president of the Sharjah Museums Authority, expanding her influence across an emirate that oversees more than 20 museums. She already leads the Sharjah Art Foundation and has directed the Sharjah Biennial since 2003, making her one of the most consequential cultural figures in the Gulf.
The day’s art-world news also included George Condo’s return to Hauser & Wirth with two exhibitions planned, the repatriation of nearly 60 looted artworks to Italy, Iraq, and Indonesia, and a historical discovery linking Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger’s “The Persian Lady” to imagery in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” Together, the stories point to a field where institutions, markets, and historical interpretation remain tightly intertwined.
