Trump Says Smithsonian Focuses Too Much on ‘How Bad Slavery Was’
U.S., Today
The remark, made as the president has ordered a wide-ranging review of museum exhibits, added to his pattern of minimizing Black history.
Young People of Color Flocked to This Show. It Made Them Feel Seen.
Arts, Yesterday
The exhibition “Beloved Suburbs” drew more than 150,000 visitors to France’s Museum of the History of Immigration. “We really recognize ourselves in the exhibition,” one said.
Need a Labor Day Getaway? Six Alternative Destinations
Travel, Yesterday
From theaters and museums to kayaking and hiking, here are some of our favorite spots within a two-hour radius, by plane or train, from six major U.S. cities.
Censoring the Smithsonian, and History
Opinion, August 18
Readers condemn the Trump administration’s plans to remove some Smithsonian exhibits. Also: Secrets of aging well.
A Modern Shout-Out to the Old ‘Gray Lady’
Times Insider, August 17
A cardboard placard from a rally for press freedoms in 2017 sits in the Museum at The Times.
$5,000-Per-Plate Dinner Tests Museum Ban on Political Fund-Raisers
Arts, August 15
Carnegie Museums employees objected that a fund-raiser for a nonprofit with ties to a senator had violated museum policy against renting space for partisan political events.
Trump’s Attempt to Make Museums Submit Feels Familiar
Opinion, August 15
MAGA would fill museums with self-glorifying kitsch, the aesthetic lingua franca of all authoritarians.
Border Patrol Agents Show Up in Force at Newsom Rally
U.S., August 14
The armed and masked agents assembled outside a museum where the governor was speaking in what Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles called “a provocative act.”
Tourist ‘Is in Trouble’ After Stones Taken From Pompeii, Police Say
World, August 14
A Scottish man is under investigation for aggravated theft, police officials said, after visiting the ancient Italian site.
These Artists Want You to Stop and Smell the Waste
Arts, August 14
In a cleareyed show at MoMA PS1 in Queens, artists wrestle with the refuse of consumer society. They’re not just worried about the environment. They’re rummaging for the human spirit.
Historians Alarmed by White House Plan to Oversee Smithsonian Exhibits
Arts, August 13
The Trump administration’s plan to, in effect, audit the content of Smithsonian museums drew criticism from groups that represent scholars and promote free speech.
Ralph Lauren, ‘The Gilded Age’ and Black Affluence
Style, August 13
Recent portrayals of the Black elite have shown the complexities that can come with representing class.
The South Korean Collector Who Fell for Posters From Communist Poland
World, August 13
Oh Hwangtaek has amassed one of the largest collections of Polish posters outside Poland. He shares his unlikely passion at his own museum in Seoul.
White House Announces Comprehensive Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions
Arts, August 12
The Trump administration is giving museums 120 days to replace “divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.”
What Does It Mean to Be a ‘Very American’ Artist Now?
T Magazine, August 12
Robert Longo was a little nervous about opening a big show in Denmark this year.
Tristan Duke Sees Things We Don’t
Arts, August 9
A Los Angeles artist keeps upping the ante, whether photographing Arctic glaciers through lenses made of their own ice or using a camera that captures light itself at a trillion frames per second.
The Smithsonian Changes Its Description of Trump’s Role on Jan. 6
Arts, August 8
The National Museum of American History removed some details of the charges President Trump faced when it replaced a display about his two impeachments.
Trump’s Cultural Revolution Is Just Getting Started
Opinion, August 8
Art can only be effective at illuminating and healing if it is unconstrained by authority.
Antiquities Returned to Europe Include 16 Seized From the Met
Arts, August 7
New York investigators said they repatriated looted objects to Italy, Spain and Hungary.
This Couple is United in Art and Life. But Can He Save His Wife’s Legacy?
Arts, August 7
Richard E. Spear, an art historian and longtime partner of the artist Athena Tacha, strives to preserve her works in the face of her failing health.
6 cosas que hacer en Puerto Rico para vivir la música de Bad Bunny
En español, August 6
Mostramos algunas formas de profundizar en la cultura y la historia de Puerto Rico para aquellos que vayan a ver a Bad Bunny en la isla en las próximas semanas.
6 Things to Do in Puerto Rico That Bring Bad Bunny’s Music to Life
Travel, August 6
His sold-out residency highlights elements of Puerto Rican culture that many visitors miss, but a little digging can give travelers a richer experience.
How a Soggy Spring and Hot Summer Nights Made 2025 an ‘Exceptional’ Year for Fireflies
Weather, August 5
If you think you’ve spotted more than the usual number of blinking bugs this year, you’re not alone. But experts say many firefly species are at risk of extinction.
The Studio Museum in Harlem Sets an Opening Date
Arts, August 5
After construction delays and a large capital campaign, the museum is preparing to welcome audiences back and introduce itself to a new generation of visitors.
Trump’s Efforts to Control Information Echo an Authoritarian Playbook
U.S., August 3
In firing the head of the agency that collects employment statistics, the president underscored his tendency to suppress facts he doesn’t like and promote his own version of reality.
Hiroshima and the End We Refuse to Imagine
Interactive, August 3
Eighty years after the city’s destruction, we seem to be blundering into a new age of nuclear perils. It is time for culture to rediscover “the courage to be afraid.”
A Bid to Undo a Colonial-Era Wrong Touches a People’s Old Wounds
World, August 2
An Oxford museum’s collection of objects taken from the Naga people includes human remains. What to do with them now is not a simple matter.
What J.M.W. Turner Saw, and What We Still Can See
Arts, August 1
In the 250 years since the artist was born, the natural world he loved so much has changed. But he still reminds us to look with truth, clarity, and feeling.
An Ex-Stone Says the Met Has His Lost Guitar. The Museum Says No Way.
Arts, August 1
Representatives for Mick Taylor, the Rolling Stones’ former guitarist, said the Les Paul was stolen from him decades ago. The museum says he never owned it and has not made a claim.
Smithsonian Removes Reference to Trump’s Impeachments, but Says It Will Return
U.S., August 1
President Trump’s impeachments were mentioned in an exhibit on the American presidency that museum officials said was outdated. A Smithsonian spokeswoman said a future exhibit would include “all impeachments.”
Man Dies After Apparent Fall From Whitney Museum
New York, July 31
The 34-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene on Wednesday afternoon, the police said. The museum said it would be closed on Thursday.
Museums Lobby Against Strengthening a Holocaust Art Recovery Law
Arts, July 31
Museums want Congress to simply renew a law meant to help Holocaust victims and their heirs retrieve works stolen by the Nazis, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to toughen it.
What to Do in New York City in August
Arts, July 31
Looking for something to do in New York? See what Taylor Tomlinson is up to, let a clowder of onscreen cats entertain you, or catch some recently restored silent-era gems.
My 5 Favorite Places for Art in Rome
Arts, July 31
Our critic Jason Farago shares what you shouldn’t miss in a city crowded with both the seamy and stately.
36 Hours in Nantucket
Interactive, July 31
The island off Cape Cod has a windswept beauty and plenty of history to explore.
Sneaking Into the Spy Museum’s New Vault
Arts, July 31
For years, the more than 10,000 items in the International Spy Museum’s collection were stored at a location outside Washington. That changed this summer.
Istanbul’s Museum Moment
Travel, July 29
Traveling between these five new and newly reopened museums is both a plunge into the city’s rich history and an exploration of its 21st-century creative scene.
The Southwest City That Turned Itself Into an Essential Art Outpost
Arts, July 28
At Site Santa Fe, 71 artists were inspired by Southwestern figures, from healers and novelists to Navajo code talkers. Here’s a guide to the highlights.
Raymond Saunders, Painter Who Rejected Racial Pigeonholes, Dies at 90
Arts, July 27
Widely admired if long underrecognized for his collage-based art, he died only days after the closing of his first retrospective at a major museum, in his native Pittsburgh.
In Smithsonian Role, John Roberts Encounters History, Pandas and Trump
Arts, July 27
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who serves as the institution’s chancellor, has always emphasized procedure and avoided politics. This moment could make that more difficult.
An Art Hub Surrounded by Fjords and Forests
T Magazine, July 25
Four insiders share their favorite things in Trondheim, Norway, including a waterfront sauna, a hidden beach hotel and a world-class orchestra.
New York Historical Acquires Bill Cunningham Archive
Arts, July 25
Tens of thousands of photos, negatives and memorabilia from the New York Times photographer (himself designated a living landmark) will go to the museum and have a permanent home.
Saving New York’s Midcentury Signs
Real Estate, July 25
The New York Sign Museum in Brooklyn preserves the stories of shuttered local businesses.
Another Director Leaves MOCA in Los Angeles
Arts, July 24
After four years leading the Museum of Contemporary Art, Johanna Burton will next head the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia.
8 Art Shows to See Before They Close
Arts, July 24
Radiant Rembrandts, vibrant portraiture of everyday life and uncanny photographs in New York and Boston, to catch before they’re gone come August and September.
Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship
Arts, July 24
The artist said that she made the decision after she said she learned that her painting of a transgender Statue of Liberty might be removed to avoid provoking President Trump.
36 Hours in Reykjavik
Interactive, July 24
A highly walkable city, Reykjavik offers public pools, elegant spas, a new exhibition of ancient texts and a blossoming restaurant scene.
In the Berkshires, Installing Art, Bearing the Consequences
Arts, July 24
Visitors can grab a map and follow the trail to outdoor sculptures at the Clark Art Institute. But be ready for a surreal encounter.
How to Host a Hamptons Gala for the Super-Rich
New York, July 24
Facing federal funding cuts, the Parrish Art Museum is among the institutions increasingly relying on elaborate parties to lure the nation’s elites to pitch in.
From Roman London, a Jigsaw Puzzle for the Ages
Science, July 22
Archaeologists are piecing together vivid 1,800-year-old frescoes from “thousands upon thousands upon thousands” of plaster fragments, with no picture on the box to guide them.
Noah Davis, a Painterly Dynamo Gone Too Soon, Takes a Seat in Posterity
Arts, July 21
The artist’s first museum tour luxuriates in the spacious and sophisticated folk-modernism he left behind, even as it unevenly canonizes a painter of the millennial era.
How the Intrepid Moved a World War II Fighter Plane
Metro, March 13
The 33-foot Corsair, on loan from Florida, had to be “rigged up on skates” to get to the Intrepid’s hangar deck.
5 Years After Covid Closed the Theaters, Audiences Are Returning
Culture, March 12
Broadway is almost back, and pop music tours and sports events are booming. But Hollywood, museums and other cultural sectors have yet to bounce back.
Brooklyn Museum Will Lay Off Employees and Scale Back Exhibitions
Culture, February 7
The museum, which faces a projected $10 million deficit, said it planned to cut more than a tenth of its employees and mount fewer exhibitions.
California Historical Society to Dissolve and Transfer Collections to Stanford
Culture, January 28
The society faced financial challenges that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Its nearly 600,000 items stretch back before the Gold Rush.
The Met Museum Is Rebounding, but Not With International Visitors
Weekend, July 24
The museum said it attracted more local visitors during the past year than it did before the pandemic, but only half the international visitors.
San Francisco’s Arts Institutions Are Slowly Building Back
Culture, July 3
Although attendance remains down from prepandemic levels, the city’s arts groups are having some success getting audiences to return.
A Steadying Force for the Africa Center Is Stepping Down
Culture, April 11
Uzodinma Iweala, chief executive of the Harlem institution, will leave at the end of 2024 after guiding it through pandemic years and securing funds.
Downtown Los Angeles Places Another Big Bet on the Arts
Culture, April 9
The pandemic was tough on city centers and cultural institutions. What does that mean for Los Angeles, whose downtown depends on the arts?
Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery
Culture, March 12
Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.
Through Catastrophe, and in Community, the Art of Daniel Lind-Ramos
Weekend, May 4
A storm, a pandemic, and Black Puerto Rican history pervade his work at MoMA PS 1, with materials sourced from daily life.
Spider-Man, We Know Where You Live
Metro, February 7
Letters on display at a small museum in Brooklyn were sent to the same address in Queens as where the comic book hero lived.
Looking for Elbow Room, Louvre Limits Daily Visitors to 30,000
Culture, January 6
With attendance surging back, the museum wants to offer “a moment of pleasure” — and relieve that Mona Lisa problem.
Why One World Trade Is Winning R.T.O.
Interactive, December 13
The tower, next to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is doing something right; it's at 94 percent occupancy.
Your Thursday Briefing: Iran’s Protests Intensify
N Y T Now, October 26
Plus Myanmar gets closer to Russia and a dire climate report.
After a Covid Contraction, Museums Are Expanding Again
Special Sections, October 20
Projects all over the country include renovations and new wings as institutions continue to bet on bricks and mortar.
San Francisco’s Art Market Struggles in the Shadow of Los Angeles
Culture, August 29
Though some small galleries are opening or expanding, the mega dealers have closed shop, a blow to an area with a vibrant artistic history.
In the Mile High City, Festivals and Food Are on the Rise
Travel, August 11
Denver has regained its prepandemic vibrancy, with a plethora of new restaurants and hotels, and the return of some old favorites.
Covid. A Coma. A Stroke. José Parlá Returns From the Edge.
Culture, July 31
After a lengthy recovery, the artist comes back with the most vigorous work he’s made: “It took me a really long time to understand what had happened to me.”
Covid Memorials Offer a Place to Put Our Grief
Culture, May 5
From “anti-monuments” to ephemeral sand portraits, four art exhibitions encourage viewers to slow down and take stock of our pandemic losses.
Manhattan Springs Back to Life
Travel, May 5
Broadway enthusiasts, art aficionados and food lovers will find new offerings in and around Times Square and in neighborhoods below 42nd Street, heralding the promise of a vibrant recovery.