The White House last week warned the Smithsonian that if the museum system does not submit more documentation to the administration to enable a review of its content, funds may be withheld from the institution.
“While we appreciate receiving the initial document production, that submission fell far short of what was requested, and the overwhelming majority of requested items remain outstanding,” said the letter, which was directed to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III.
“Current wall texts and didactics, exhibition proposals and budgets, object checklists for upcoming programming, internal governance manuals, and chain-of-command records for content approval are not obscure archival requests,” the Dec. 18 letter stated.
“These are the records that every accredited museum is expected to maintain and produce without delay, as they provide the basis for responsible stewardship of significant national collections and for meeting the rigorous transparency standards imposed by federal law, the Smithsonian’s own directives, and the professional standards of the museum field.”
In August, the White House said in a letter that it would start reviewing the Smithsonian’s exhibitions and museums ahead of the 250th birthday of the United States.
The review of the Smithsonian will initially focus on eight museums: the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
“This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” the White House said in its August letter.
The Smithsonian said in a statement at the time that it was committed to “scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.”
Last week’s letter made reference to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, which will occur on July 4 of next year, and said that it is hopeful Bunch shares “our view that the Smithsonian Institution must lead by example in scholarship, presentation, and accountability.”
“The upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of our Nation offers a singular opportunity to justify confidence in the operations of America’s leading cultural institutions. We are eager to work together to make the Smithsonian’s contribution to America’s 250th anniversary a triumph,” it added.
The Epoch Times contacted the Smithsonian’s press office for comment on Sunday but did not hear back by time of publication.
