Sarah Cascone, New IMLS Guidelines Echo Trump’s Vision for American Culture, Art Net, 13 February 2026
You need to follow Trump’s executive orders if you want a grant.
Want to get a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)? The agency is recommending brushing up on President Donald Trump’s executive orders, to make sure your application aligns with his vision for U.S. culture.
The cover letter inviting institutions to apply for IMLS grants encourages applicants to read several of Trump’s orders, including “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” which requires government buildings be built in classical style, and “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which attempts to control the content of exhibitions and programming from the Smithsonian Institution.