Make the SAM Great Again: Seattle Art Museum makes Trump jab over construction
The political statement is unusually blunt for a major art institution, which generally prefer at least the appearance of political neutrality.
Labor and Capital
The Seattle Art Museum last week cracked a joke at the expense of President Donald Trump as it informed the public of ongoing construction projects.
The museum shared an image to Instagram and Facebook on September 12 of a blue construction fence wrapped around a part of the building. On the fence, the museum wrote in massive white block lettering, “Big things are coming. Not a ballroom!”
The announcement references Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House to construct a controversial ballroom and underground bunker.
The posting received strong reactions from the public.
“So, no secret bunker and military ops center either? Darn it!” Facebook user Annie Cobblesworth commented.
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Others joked that the museum could benefit from a triumphal arch at its entrance, a jab at another Trump initiative to build a massive gateway to Washington, D.C.
“Bro Seattle cannot be that damn liberal cmon now sheesh,” one Instagram user said.
The political statement is unusually blunt for a major art institution, which generally prefer at least the appearance of political neutrality.
“Telling me about your political leaning without telling me about your political leaning,” an Instagram account for Naomi Gabriel Adventures commented, with two fire emojis.
The museum’s posting directed the public to a landing page at its website for the construction project. Urgent Matter could not determine precisely when the page was created.
The landing page includes a letter from museum director Scott Stulen, who said the changes include “opening up the Brotman Forum with more places to sit, gather, and encounter art; bringing the SAM Shop and SAM Gallery into the heart of the museum; adding more art to our entrances; and welcoming Bar Dojo, a new neighborhood restaurant that will be a destination in and of itself.”
“We’re transforming our public spaces to make the museum more welcoming, connected, and open to everyone,” Stulen said. “This isn’t about adding more square footage. It’s about reimagining how we use the spaces we already have—and what a museum can be.”
Stulen noted that the museum will remain open through the construction, though the South Hall entrance will be temporarily closed through December 10 and some first-floor spaces and pathways may be temporarily unavailable or rerouted.
The museum said that construction work would mostly take place on days the museum is closed to reduce disruption.
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