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Elon Musk’s cost reducing team has set its sights at the National Gallery of Art, as the so -called billionaire of the Government Efficiency Department seems beyond Gutting Federal Agencies to aim for the pillars of US cultural life.
Emissaries from Doge visited the main cultural institution in Washington DC which houses the World Class Class of European and American Art Thursday and met with the Museum’s leadership, according to people familiar with the issue, despite the gallery that operates apparently at the White House’s ARM length.
Doge’s goals in the National Gallery are still unclear and a representative for the initiative did not respond to a request for comment.
But the mass from the Doge comes as the Trump administration expands an attack on US cultural institutions as part of its struggle against the so -called “smart” ideologies. The president last month issued an executive order entitled “Restoring the Truth and conceit in American History” aimed at the Smithsonian institution for its descriptions of race and gender.
Trump has also taken control of the Kennedy Center-the largest and most prominent place of Washington’s interpretive arts-pledging there would be no “no more attractive appearance or other anti-American propaganda” on this site. The mass promoted a reaction from artists and performers.
The National Gallery has so far escaped the anger of the administration. Members of the new cabinet even celebrated Trump’s inauguration at the scene in January.
Following the donations of old Master’s paintings and sculptures by the then Treasury Secretary and extraordinary collector Andrew Mello, the gallery was officially created by Congress in 1937. It is run by a board consisting of US Supreme Court chief John Roberts, the Treasury Secretary, Secretary of State and five believers.
However, most of the National Gallery funds come from the annual federal budget – which DOGE has pledged to reduce by 1TN $.
In the last fiscal year, the museum received nearly $ 210 million from the US government, which allowed the institution to pay salaries and continue the free acceptance for all.
In January, the National Gallery removed references to diversity and inclusion from its website, following an executive order signed by Donald Trump considered such “illegal” initiatives. The measure came just months after the gallery asked Congress more funding, in part to ensure that it can “focus on diversity, equality, access and inclusion” and diversify its collection to “include more artists and groups under representatives”.
In a statement responding to DOGE’s visit, the National Gallery stressed that it was an “independent foundation of the United States faith created by an act of Congress in 1937”.
“As a public-private partnership, we have worked with every administration from our beginning and will continue to work with the administration and Congress as we remain focused on fulfilling our mission to preserve and exchange artistic perfection with all Americans,” she said.
