Good Morning!
- The American Alliance of Museums has slammed the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on the Smithsonian Institution.
- Japan’s Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has been accused of whitewashing the country’s wartime past.
- The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors on December 11.
The Headlines
PUSHBACK. The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has slammed the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on the Smithsonian Institution, warning that political interference threatens the independence of museums across the US. The latest move orders warning signs outside the National Museum of American History highlighting exhibits the White House considers “inaccurate,” following a report accusing the museum of ideological bias. The AAM said efforts to politicize museums undermine scholarship and public trust, noting that 92 percent of Americans view museums as nonpartisan. It warned that targeting the Smithsonian could set a precedent affecting the nation’s 22,000 museums during the country’s 250th anniversary year.
WORD GAMES Japan’s Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has been accused of whitewashing the country’s wartime past, The Times of London reported. Critics say proposed exhibition changes soften references to Japanese aggression in China and Korea. The revisions replace the “Nanjing Massacre” with the “Nanjing Incident” and tone down descriptions of Japan’s military expansion. Historians, peace campaigners, and atomic bomb survivors say the changes reflect growing nationalist pressure, while supporters argue the revisions create a more balanced account. The row comes as the museum prepares its first major exhibition overhaul in three decades, renewing concerns over historical revisionism at one of Japan’s leading peace museums.
The Digest
A mobile “museum” of the Jeffrey Epstein files, featuring millions of printed pages from the New York reading room documenting the convicted sex offender’s records, is set to hit the road. [MS Now]
After two decades of delays, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors on December 11. [ARTnews]
The newest episode of Harvard Business School’s podcast Cold Call explores how the Harvard Art Museums weighed using generative AI in a marketing campaign to increase visitor engagement and membership. [Cold Call]
The Guardian explores San Lorenzo, Rome’s “rebel neighborhood shaped by resistance and art.” [The Guardian]
The Kicker
WHALE OF A TIME. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has turned a viral one-star Google review calling it the “worst aquarium ever” into a merchandising hit, The Independent wrote. The Massachusetts museum began selling T-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags featuring the review and a whale skeleton illustration. Sales surged after US television coverage, with more than 700 online orders in less than a day and weekly orders up 250 percent. Museum staff said the joke has become part of its folklore and reflects the city’s sense of humor.
