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How Do Museums Resist Censorship? episode artwork

Feb 24, 2026 1 hr 1 min

How Do Museums Resist Censorship?

from Zócalo Public Square Hosted by Zócalo Public Square

Museums tell America’s story. Exhibit by exhibit, they acquire, study, preserve, and interpret art and artifacts for the public, offering proof to bolster thoughtful interpretations of our national truths. But they haven’t always done so freely. What can museums do when the state imposes revisionist history on them? Can curation be a form of self-censorship? Is censorship ever good? And what have museums done to protect their freedom of expression and the separation between art and state? Featured guests: Devon Akmon (Director, Michigan State University Museum and Chair of the Board, American Alliance of Museums) Ann Burroughs (President and CEO, Japanese American National Museum) Hamza Walker (Director, The Brick and Co-Curator, MONUMENTS) Moderated by Elizabeth Larison (Director, Arts and Culture Advocacy Program, National Coalition Against Censorship) This program is co-presented by Zócalo Public Square, Japanese American National Museum (JANM), and The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Visit www.zocalopublicsquare.org/ for more programs, interviews and essays.

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