MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The Trump administration says it is going to review eight of the Smithsonian Institution's museums. In a letter to the head of the institution, White House officials say they want to be sure the museums are reflecting the, quote, "unity, progress and enduring values that define the American story." The letter went on to say that the 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. In a statement to NPR, the Smithsonian says it is reviewing the letter while keeping in mind its, quote, "commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research and the accurate factual presentation of history," unquote.
For reaction, we called Lisa Strong. She is a professor of art history and the director of the art and museum studies MA program at Georgetown University. She was kind enough to join us in our studios in Washington. Good morning. Thanks for joining us.
LISA STRONG: Thank you for having me.
MARTIN: What was your reaction when you read this letter as a museum professional?
STRONG: Disappointment and concern. Certainly, I think the most important thing to museum professionals is the integrity of their research, and you don't want any interference in the content of the material that you're exhibiting to the public.
MARTIN: Do you experience this, or you're - you are hearing this as interference?
STRONG: I am, yes. I mean, if you look at the letter, under the section of the letter that says what needs to be accomplished in a hundred and twenty days is changes to content. I mean, that - I think that if you go to the dentist, you don't want the government standing over the shoulder saying you should use this or that drill. I mean, you need to have independence in the exhibitions they put down. And scrupulous research is what - I mean, I think, the public doesn't realize how much research goes into just a simple exhibition label. You can spend weeks, even, just making sure the title of a painting is correct, or the date is correct. So there's scrupulous research that already goes into the work that they do, and to have any interference in how that's interpreted is - you know, goes to the heart of what museum professionals do.
MARTIN: This whole initiative seems to speak to the question of what museums are for, especially an institution like the Smithsonian, which does receive some private funding but is a national institution. And the review is - this review is coming ahead of next year's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The idea seems to be that the Trump administration seems to feel that the purpose of these institutions is to celebrate the country and to celebrate patriotism. Is there something wrong with that?
STRONG: You know, I think the purpose of museums is to do some original research, depending on the museum, but also to interpret academic research and to relate it to the collection objects. And everything that you do at a museum comes out of your collection and your deep understanding of the objects in your collection that you put on display for the public. And I think museum professionals feel very strongly the responsibility to present accurate information to the public. And again, this is why it's so concerning that you would have any interference in the content of an exhibition.
MARTIN: Is it your concern that there won't - this won't be accurate, that these representations won't be accurate, but that they will be sort of geared toward a certain ideology? Is that your concern?
STRONG: Exactly. I mean, museum professionals are experts in their field. They know their collection better than any - a curator knows their collection better than anyone else does. It's their job to know their collection and interpret it, and it should be done based on the collection and not based on the government standing over your shoulder and saying, I think you should say this or that.
MARTIN: So we have about 30 seconds left. How would you want the public to react to this, assuming that, you know, museum officials have resigned, you know, and - or have been told to resign in the course of this administration so far? What do - how do you want the public to respond to this?
STRONG: Survey after survey has shown that museums are one of the most trusted institutions, and a recent survey by AAM show that museums are trusted second only to people's friends and relatives. Museums need to maintain the public trust, and they do that through independence of thought.
MARTIN: That's Lisa Strong. She's a professor of art history at Georgetown University. Professor Strong, thanks so much for joining us.
STRONG: Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Michel.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE DREAM ACADEMY SONG, "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
