The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will close as a result of the government shutdown, the museum said on Saturday.
“Beginning tomorrow, October 5, the National Gallery will be temporarily closed and all programs will be canceled until further notice,” a brief statement from the museum read.
It is the first major museum in D.C. to shutter because of the shutdown. The Smithsonian Institution, which runs an array of museums in D.C. and beyond, is using its own funds to remain open at least through Monday.
It’s not clear when the shutdown will end. The last shutdown, the longest in US history, stretched on for 35 days beginning in December 2018, leaving many Smithsonian workers without pay.
If this shutdown lasts much longer, it could impact programming at the National Gallery. On October 18, the museum is set to open what is being billed as largest survey of Australian Indigenous art ever staged beyond the continent. The 200-work show features pieces on loan from the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
While the museum has noted the cancelation of various events on its website, the Australian Indigenous art show still appears to be set to open on its intended date.
Though Trump has repeatedly attacked the Smithsonian, he has generally avoided commenting on the National Gallery, which is funded through a mix of private and federal money. Still, the museum has been directly impacted by Trump’s policies: it wound down its diversity programs following an executive order denouncing DEI initiatives, and its director, Kaywin Feldman, met earlier this year with Elon Musk when he was still leading DOGE.
