January 31, 2025 - Week In Review: Mona Lisa on the Move, Emilia Pérez Parody and FireAid

Today Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week- in- review.First up, the Smithsonian Institution. They’re closing their DEI office and freezing federal hiring, following President Trump’s mandate. Even though the Smithsonian is not a federal agency, it gets  a big chunk of funding from federal appropriations. So what  will this mean for its many museums?And while representation might be purged from federal agencies, the opera house is a different story.  After 138  years of hiding in plain sight, the first complete opera by a Black American composer gets its debut.Plus, Mona Lisa has something to smile about. Amid renovations at the Louvre, she’s going to get a room of her own.Finally, a recap of FireAid,  the  benefit concert raising funds for wildfire recovery and prevention.