National Art Museums Closed for Business

by Paula Newton October 1, 2013
AP Photo/J. David Ake

AP Photo/J. David Ake

There are a lot of institutions, programs, and people seriously affected in all sorts of ways by the government shutdown, which started today. Affecting the art world is the closing of all 19 galleries and museums affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution; all “non-essential staff” have been furloughed, reported today’s Gallerist. These include:

Smithsonian American Art Museum
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
National Portrait Gallery
Freer Gallery of Art
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (okay, they’re already closed for renovations)
National Museum of the American Indian

The National Gallery of Art, which is separate from the Smithsonian Institutions, is also closed. Its website includes the following banner, similar to those posted on the websites for institutions listed above:
Notice: During the federal government shutdown, the offices and all premises of the National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are closed to the public, and all public programs are canceled. Employees will not have access to their e-mail or voicemail accounts during the shutdown.  

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