January 31, 2025 - Week In Review: Mona Lisa on the Move, Emilia Pérez Parody and FireAid
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Show Notes
Today Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week- in- review.
First up, the Smithsonian Institution. They’re closing their DEI office and freezing federal hiring, following President Trump’s mandate. Even though the Smithsonian is not a federal agency, it gets a big chunk of funding from federal appropriations. So what will this mean for its many museums?
And while representation might be purged from federal agencies, the opera house is a different story. After 138 years of hiding in plain sight, the first complete opera by a Black American composer gets its debut.
Plus, Mona Lisa has something to smile about. Amid renovations at the Louvre, she’s going to get a room of her own.
Finally, a recap of FireAid, the benefit concert raising funds for wildfire recovery and prevention.