European Museum Academy Stands with the Smithsonian and America’s Museums

25.07.2026

The European Museum Academy expresses its sympathy and solidarity with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Smithsonian Institution, and museum professionals across the United States, following AAM’s statement condemning political attacks on the Smithsonian and warning of the broader risk these pose to museum independence nationwide.

On 20 July 2026, AAM published a statement condemning continued pressure on the Smithsonian Institution and the professionals responsible for its scholarship and public programming. AAM warned that attempts to politicize how museums present history, art, science, and culture threaten not only one institution, but the independence of museums of every size and discipline across the country. The statement noted that recent oversight actions have approached the Smithsonian through a partisan lens rather than neutral, evidence-based review, and called on elected leaders of all political affiliations to respect the scholarly independence that allows museums to serve the whole public.

Read AAM’s full statement: AAM Statement on the Independence of the Smithsonian and America’s Museums