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US National Gallery of Art drops diversity policies amid Trump order

Arts Professional
1 min read

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programmes at the US National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington have officially ceased following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that mandated the termination of DEI policies across federal agencies and entities.

The order, made on 20 January, branded DEI initiatives “illegal and immoral discrimination programs”, claiming that they divert taxpayer resources and create “unnecessary divisions” in society.

NGA has dropped references to DEI from its website and closed its Office of Belonging and Inclusion, re-deploying staff to other positions within the organisation.

ArtDog Istanbul reports that four years ago, NGA invested $820,000 in a rebranding campaign focused on DEI, which included the appointment of the organisation’s first curator of African American art.