Investigative communication addressed to the Smithsonian Institution, focusing on a comprehensive evaluation of exhibitions and materials within their collection
The Smithsonian Institution, located at 1000 Jefferson Dr SW, Washington, DC 20560, is undergoing a significant internal review. The focus of this review, led by the Honorable Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, is to renew the Smithsonian's role as the world's leading museum institution, with a focus on Americanism, the people, principles, and progress that define our nation.
The review, as outlined in a letter signed by Lindsey Halligan, Vince Haley, and Russell Vought, is a comprehensive and collaborative effort to ensure the Smithsonian’s content reflects historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage. The review aims to support the Smithsonian’s mission without interfering with daily operations.
The scope of the review includes examining public-facing content, such as exhibition text, didactics, websites, educational materials, and digital/social media, to assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals. It also involves conducting interviews with curators and senior staff to understand how exhibitions are selected, approved, and framed.
Current and future exhibitions, with special attention to those planned for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, are under review, as well as assessing how existing materials are used or could be better utilized. This includes digitization efforts or transferring to other institutions for highlighting American achievement and progress.
The review process also aims to develop consistent curatorial guidelines that reflect the Smithsonian’s original mission. Initially, the review will focus on specific museums, including the National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Each museum has been asked to submit additional materials within 75 days, including promotional literature, grant data, educational materials, and guided tour content. Museums are also requested to provide various materials such as exhibition plans, catalogs, digital files of wall didactics, grant-related documentation, and surveys of visitor experience.
On-site observational visits and walkthroughs of current exhibitions will begin within 30 days, to document themes, visitor experience, and visual messaging. Within 120 days, museums should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across public-facing materials.
The review team consists of Lindsey Halligan, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, Vince Haley, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Russell Vought, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
If all benchmarks are met on schedule, the review is anticipated to complete and prepare a final report for review in early 2026, including museum-specific assessments, institutional trends, and constructive recommendations for future exhibition strategy. This initiative aligns with Executive Order 14253, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," emphasizing historically accurate and inclusive content. The review is intended to be collaborative and supportive of a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage. The process empowers museum staff to embrace a revitalized curatorial vision rooted in the strength, breadth, and achievements of the American story.
- The review at the Smithsonian Institution aims to renew the institution's role in showcasing American heritage, and this includes the examination of educational materials, digital and social media content, and public-facing exhibitions, such as those planned for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- The review process will develop consistent curatorial guidelines that reflect the Smithsonian's original mission, and it will focus on specific museums, including the National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- The review team, led by Lindsey Halligan, Vince Haley, and Russell Vought, has requested museums to provide diverse materials, including exhibition plans, didactics, and visitor experience surveys, to assess their content, tone, and alignment with American ideals and principles.
