With Trump Novices, Can the U.S. Win the ‘Art Olympics’?
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- For nearly a century, the U.S. participation in the Venice Biennale involved prominent museum leaders or curators selecting top American artists, with an independent State Department panel choosing the final representatives.
- Renowned artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Bradford, and Simone Leigh have historically represented American cultural excellence at the event.
- Under the second Trump administration, this tradition was disrupted, replacing art world veterans with a nonprofit led by Jenni Parido, whose recent experience includes owning a luxury pet food store in Tampa, Fla.
- Jenni Parido was appointed by the State Department as commissioner of the U.S. Pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale, which is considered the art world's equivalent of the Olympics.
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