The protests, known collectively as Fall of Freedom, will take place on the weekend of Nov. 21. Organizers, including the visual artist Dread Scott and the playwright Lynn Nottage, describe the effort as “an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.”
As the current administration repeals the right to culture, we, everyday people, must work to keep it. Exercise it to the fullest extent. Dine at local and immigrant-owned restaurants. Read books written in English or in translation. Recommend Hollywood and indie movies. Speak out, share ideas. - Hyperallergic
Fonda announced on October 1 that she would revive the Committee for the First Amendment, an anti-censorship group originally formed in 1947 whose members included her father, actor Henry Fonda. - Hyperallergic
Unfortunately, it’s not for all artists. There will be 2,000 stipends available, with applications opening in September of 2026 and qualified applicants (who may work in visual arts, performing arts, literature, film or architecture) selected at random. The payment will be €325 (currently $377) per week, roughly $19,600 per year. - ARTnews
This fraught debate has pitted artists who are broadly in agreement against each other. “There’s so much energy being spent ripping ourselves to shreds that arguably could be repurposed and deployed to Nigel Farage or Keir Starmer." - The Guardian
Even if an artist can afford to turn up their nose at it, the entire structure that allows them to show, see, and otherwise participate in the arts is so enmeshed with government money that rejecting it individually is as meaningless as refusing to eat Madagascar vanilla to help with your carbon footprint. - The Walrus
We are now seeing what the lost decade in American education has wrought. By some measures, American students have regressed to a level not seen in 25 years or more. - The Atlantic
“My hope is that the administration continues to recognize how important artists and culture workers are to telling the story of Chicago and to making Chicago the kind of beautiful, vibrant place that we’re all fighting for.” - Chicago Sun-Times
“Many of the statues have been revived with the help of Italian American groups, who cherish Columbus as a figure their ancestors embraced as a hero of the diaspora.” But generally, they’re not being returned to public lands. - The New York Times
“A student-run radio station trains kids to do all sorts of things. It’s the engineering, it’s the on air, it’s the music, it’s the running it, the managing of it. And it’s all gone now.” - Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Smithsonian museums “had been able to keep their doors open for the first 11 days of the shutdown by relying on prior-year funds, but those coffers have since run dry.” - NPR
“As the Metro Arts Commission works its way back from several years of instability, it’s hoping the more than $3.2 million in grants it’s awarded for the 2026 fiscal year will be a sign of progress.” Most stakeholders seem to be relieved, though there’s one in particular which is still unhappy. - The Tennessean
While A.I. speeds along, upending any number of careers and lives, some in the art world have chosen to embrace it while also, in a sense, subverting it. These artists integrate A.I., gaming and other tech-heavy aesthetics into their work. - The New York Times
