David J. Skorton image

The Secretary of the Smithsonian, David J. Skorton, M.D., asks: In a world that seems to be perpetually in crisis, do the arts still have a place in society today? What role does art play in feeding our collective soul, and how can it help us handle – even shed light on – the struggles of the modern era?

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Panelists

Rebecca Rabinow image
Rebecca Rabinow

Director of the Menil Collection

Peter Schjeldahl image
Peter Schjeldahl

Senior art critic at The New Yorker

María Magdalena Campos-Pons image
María Magdalena Campos-Pons

Cuban-born artist

David Marcus image
David Marcus

Theater artist and a senior contributor to The Federalist

Smithsonian Perspectives

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Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei on Why Authoritarian Regimes Censor Art
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In Conversation
Art Is Humanity’s Common Thread, Says the Director of the National Museum of African Art
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Image Bank
Five Artists Who Will Help You Better Understand Challenges of the Modern World
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Reading Room
Five Books That Expand Our Definition of What Art Can Be
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Maya Freelon
How Artists Are Always at the Forefront of Political Change
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Philanthropy
How Do the Arts Promote Social Change?
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Sidedoor
Podcast: What It Takes to Paint a Portrait of a First Lady

Interviews

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Erwin Wurm
Is it Still Great Art If No One Can See It?
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Paul Ha
Why MIT Has an Art Museum
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Don Thompson
Is There Too Much Money in Art?
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Jay Nordlinger
What Does it Mean for Art to Be “Relevant”?
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Stephanie Smith
How Does Art Propel People to Talk to One Another?
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Human Origins
The Ancient Origins of Art
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Theater
Playwright Tom Stoppard’s 'Travesties' and the Meaning of Art

Resources

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Education
Second Opinion: The State of the Arts Education Resources
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Vox Populi
How to Host Your Own Conversation About the State of the Arts

(Banner image: Nam June Paik, "Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii" Smithsonian American Art Museum, © Nam June Paik Estate, Gift of the artist)