Cultural institutions across the United States—including art museums and galleries—have announced they will close today, January 30th, taking part in a coordinated nationwide shutdown in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The action calls for the permanent removal of both ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from American towns and cities.
Prominent blue-chip galleries, including Pace, David Zwirner, and Gagosian, alongside museums and non-profit institutions such as the CUE Art Foundation in New York, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, and the Armory Center for the Arts in Southern California, have issued statements via their websites, social media, and email newsletters. They will stand “in solidarity” during the strike on January 30th, participating in what organizers refer to as a “national shutdown.”
The action builds upon the momentum of last week’s mass mobilization in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. In that instance, hundreds of businesses closed and thousands took to the streets following the high-profile killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Local museums, including the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the University of Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum, also participated in that city-wide closure.
Originally initiated by several student organizations at the University of Minnesota, the January 30th national shutdown is designed to exert maximum economic pressure on the presidential administration. As the official website states: “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.”
Many artists have also expressed their support through their creative practices. For instance, Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Martinez utilized his signature neon-based aesthetic to create signs that read “Deport ICE,” urging his followers to withhold their labor and economic participation.
These protests reflect a deepening national struggle over the intersection of immigration enforcement, police accountability, and the jurisdictional boundaries of federal agencies within local communities.
The roster of participants pledging to close their doors today, January 30th, continues to grow. Below is a list of galleries and institutions that have already announced their participation in the national shutdown:
- 56 Henry
- Agora Gallery
- A.I.R. Gallery
- Almine Rech
- Andrew Edlin
- Andrew Kreps Gallery
- Andrew Rafacz
- Artists Space New York
- Bortolami
- Blade Study
- Brigitte Mulholland
- CANADA
- Casey Kaplan
- Charlie James Gallery
- Chart Gallery
- Chris Sharp Gallery
- Company Gallery
- Corey Helford
- Cristin Tierney
- David Klein
- David Zwirner
- DIMIN
- The Drawing Center
- Fernberger
- Francis Gallery
- Fraenkel Gallery
- Gagosian
- Galerie Lelong
- Gallery 12.26
- Gallery Ergo
- Hannah Traore Gallery
- Harkawik
- Hoffman Donahue
- Hostler Burrows
- Howard Greenberg Gallery
- Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery
- James Cohan Gallery
- Jane Lombard Gallery
- Jeffrey Deitch Gallery
- Karma
- KDR
- Klaus von Nichtssagend
- Luhring Augustine
- Magenta Plains
- Management gallery
- Margot Samel
- Marian Goodman Gallery
- Martha’s
- Megan Mulrooney
- Miguel Abreu Gallery
- Mrs.
- MPM Gallery
- Nara Roesler
- Nathalie Karg Gallery
- Nicodim
- Nicola Vassell
- Nina Johnson Gallery
- Olney Gleason
- Pace
- Paula Cooper Gallery
- Peter Blum Gallery
- The Pit
- P.P.O.W
- Printed Matter
- Rebecca Camacho Presents
- Regen Projects
- Richard Gray Gallery
- Salon 94
- Sea View
- Sean Kelly Gallery
- Sebastian Gladstone
- Sikkema Malloy Jenkins
- Silke Lindner
- Slip House
- Stroll Garden
- Swivel Gallery
- Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
- Templon
- Timothy Taylor Gallery
