Last week, the Trump Administration revoked a three-year $500,000 grant previously designated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket stating that it is “no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves in the interest of the United States and the furtherance of the President’s policies.”
In March, an Executive Order took aim at Smithsonian Institution museums, directing Vice President JD Vance, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to eliminate what President Donald Trump deems “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the museums and work with Congress to block funding to exhibits or programs that divide Americans by race. The director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Kevin Young, stepped down shortly after the Executive Order was issued.
Museum funding cuts at institutions like the one at the Museum of African American History in Massachusetts are having a negative impact on the museum industry, as directors fear their programs will be next. Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, executive director and chief executive of Teak client Peabody Essex Museum recently told the Boston Globe the $2.4M her museum has received from IMLS over the years, including two recent grants totalling $500,000, have supported public accessibility and educational programming. Funding cuts could make it challenging to maintain “the high standards of care, scholarship, and accessibility that our visitors rely on,” she said.
The idea of government officials dictating museum content either directly, or through the removal or threat of funding cuts, is not only extremely concerning because of the loss of information, culture, history and knowledge that hang in the balance, but also because it fits the recent rise of political interference in museums in Europe Highlighted in the Museum Watch Governance Management Project’s 2022 report, there are recent cases of politicians in countries including Poland and England trying to influence museums. Meaning, altering our view of history as a way of shaping the future.
Here are reasons why museums are valuable and must be supported.
- Museums are about both the past and the future – As George Santayana said in his famous quote from 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Museums give people a lens through which to view current events. They encourage visitors to recognize dark patterns of behavior and take action.Teak client Holocaust Legacy Foundation is building Holocaust Museum Boston to be an educational resource. When it opens in late 2026, it will use the Holocaust to teach what can happen when hate goes unchecked in order to prevent future atrocities. Ignoring or eliminating museum content about the more uncomfortable parts of history or only including the accomplishments of certain groups of people in exhibits sends the undemocratic message that some lives are more valuable than others.
- Museums are inspirational – Learning in person about the accomplishments of others or experiencing the incredible work they have created encourages visitors to tap into their own talents, whatever they may be. Museums aren’t designed with the expectation that people will emerge from them as Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but instead encourage them to make their own contributions to the world.
- Museums create community – Museums bring people together from different walks of life to have a shared experience. Museums engage the senses, allow active learning and encourage discussion. Many offer tours and events that enhance the experience. While not all museums are able to offer free admission, many have days when admission is free. Several libraries buy passes and make them available for free to their patrons.
- Museums contribute to the economy – Museums make money. They contribute an estimated $50B to the U.S. economy and support more than 726,000 jobs. They are tourist attractions that draw visitors to cities. They not only generate revenue through admissions and spending for the museum itself, but help support nearby restaurants, hotels, and stores.
With April vacation almost upon us – the most direct way you can support museums is with your feet. Make it a priority to visit museums with the people who are important to you. Not only will you be able to enjoy and absorb all they have to offer, you will be contributing to them financially and to the attendance figures these institutions rely on to show their worth. If you can’t attend in person, consider making an online donation. While federal funding makes up a significant portion of the budget of many museums, it does not make up all of it. Your financial support can inoculate museums from the impact of funding cuts, helping them to keep their doors open and the exhibits coming.
