Birthday Millions and Monument Showdowns
Today's Stories
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It is Sunday, September sixth, two thousand twenty-six. Let’s dive in.
Beyoncé Knowles marked her 45th birthday on September 4 with a two dollars million gift to the Studio Museum in Harlem. In a press release, she said, “Art tells all our stories; the past and the present, but is not always accessible to everyone,” and praised the museum’s intention to be “an integral part of the community.” She also said she’s discovered several of her favorite young and upcoming Black artists through the museum’s exhibits. Thelma Golden, the museum’s director and chief curator, thanked Beyoncé for recognizing the museum’s role and said the institution was founded to “shift the arts landscape and reimagine who that landscape serves.” The museum did not immediately say how the funds will be used.
Staying in the United States, Vietnam veterans filed for a temporary restraining order on Friday seeking to stop progress on a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch linked to President Donald Trump. The plaintiffs are veterans Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes, and Jon Gundersen, along with architectural historian Calder Loth, represented by the Public Citizen Litigation Group in Washington, D.C. They moved for a 14-day restraining order after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote on X on Thursday that “excavation work” would begin within two weeks. The arch is slated for Memorial Circle in Arlington, Virginia, and the plaintiffs note it has not received congressional approval. The Trump administration responded that the activity is “Phase 1B archaeological survey work,” not construction, consisting of digging four test pits.
That’s the download for today. Links to both stories are in the show notes—come back tomorrow for more art world news you can actually use. Chinga la migra