Learning From Film History

Movies are a big part of American literature. Sometimes they're the only way we get important messages from the authors of the books we don't read.

Seven Days In May --1964

Pushback

Colonizing

De-Colonizing

The Naked Truth

The Lie said to the Truth, "Let's take a bath together, the well water is very nice."

The Truth, though suspicious, tested the water and found that it really was nice. So they got naked and bathed together.

But suddenly, the Lie leaped out of the water and fled, wearing the clothes of the Truth.

The Truth, furious, climbed out of the well to get her clothes back. But the World, upon seeing the naked Truth, looked away, with anger and contempt.

Poor Truth returned to the well and disappeared forever, hiding her shame.

Since then, the Lie runs around the world, dressed as the Truth, and society is happy.

Because the world has no desire to know the naked Truth.

Painting: Truth Coming Out Of The Well, Jean-Léon Gérome, 1896.

A Picture & A Quote

The appreciation of the natural scene should not be limited only to the grandeurs. The intimate details and qualities of our immediate environment can be revealed and appreciated. To protect these qualities will require a new planning approach of the highest order of sensitivity and effectiveness. We are prone to think of natural beauty - parks, reserves, ‘dedicated areas,’ etc - in terms of locations on maps, restricted by borders and boundaries and viewed ‘vertically.’ This pseudo-aerial view can be misleading; our vision is usually projected horizontally and the vistas of the world are as important as the actual contact with rock and soil and growing things. Hence, the prospects, the glades, the lines of the hills, and the vast expanses of shore and ocean, these too must be preserved.

“We must take ALL resources under consideration; all resources, because they relate fatefully to our life on earth, reflect certain grandeurs, and deserve not only our attention, but our reverence.     --Ansel Adams

Stand Your Ground

Good for you, lady. Don't give that short-fingered vulgarian the satisfaction.

Defying Trump, National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet is still at work

The president said he had fired the museum leader — setting up a standoff between the White House and the Smithsonian.

President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to assert control over an elite American cultural institution has turned into a high-stakes Washington standoff.

In defiance of Trump’s announcement last Friday that he was firing her, Kim Sajet — the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery — has continued to report for work, conducting meetings and handling other museum business as she did before, according to several people familiar with her activities who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump had declared he is firing Sajet because she “is a highly partisan person” and because she is a “strong supporter of DEI,” a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion. He said her replacement would be named shortly.

Trump has not provided a legal reasoning to support his authority to fire Sajet. Top congressional Democrats have asserted the president does not have legal authority for the firing.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan), a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, said Wednesday that the board had requested more information and “will discuss the issue further” at its scheduled meeting on Monday.

“We just need more information about her performance, and some of the allegations that were made, so we can make an informed, thoughtful decision,” Peters said. “Clearly, the president has no authority whatsoever to fire her. The Smithsonian is an independent institution, and the director of the Smithsonian is the one who she reports to and that’s the person who makes the decision as to hiring and firing of individuals.”

In a joint statement, House Administration Committee ranking Democrat Joseph Morelle of New York and House Appropriations Committee ranking Democrat Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut said: “President Trump has no authority to fire employees of the Smithsonian Institution — including the Director of the National Portrait Gallery. The dismissal of Director Sajet is unacceptable and has the same legal weight as the President’s prior attempts to undermine the Smithsonian’s independence: absolutely none. Should the White House require a copy of the Constitution, we would be more than happy to provide one.”

Holy crap - shots fired!

Sajet’s refusal to abide by Trump’s decision sets up a test of the bounds of presidential authority over the Smithsonian, a sprawling complex of 21 museums, 14 education and research centers and the National Zoo. It is not a traditional government agency nor part of the executive branch, and hiring and firing decisions have historically been handled by the Smithsonian’s secretary, rather than its Board of Regents. The Smithsonian’s current secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch III, is widely expected to discuss the president’s attempt to oust Sajet at the board meeting Monday.

In an only-in-Washington twist, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. — who has been presented with major questions at the Supreme Court regarding the limits of presidential authority since Trump took office — is the chancellor of the Smithsonian and a member of its board.

A Trump White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Smithsonian spokesperson declined to comment.

In February, Trump made another foray into American arts when he took over control of the Kennedy Center, dismissing his predecessor’s appointees to its board, who then installed him as chairman and replaced the institution’s director with a political ally with scant experience in the arts. The Smithsonian differs from the Kennedy Center because presidents don’t appoint members to its board, which is composed of a mix of officials from all three branches of government and members of the public. But Trump is not without allies on the Smithsonian board, including Vice President JD Vance who, like Roberts, is an ex officio member.

Trump’s move against Sajet follows an executive order he issued on March 27 titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which aims to “restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness.” A 35-year-old special assistant and senior associate staff secretary, Lindsey Halligan, was among the order’s architects — instigated, in part, by her early-2025 visit to the show “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which shares a building with the Portrait Gallery.

The order calls for Halligan and Vice President JD Vance to “remove improper ideology” from the Smithsonian and “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race.”

“President Trump’s attempt to fire the National Portrait Gallery Director is outrageous and represents yet another disturbing example of his relentless effort to control American art and culture,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine), the ranking Democrat on the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the Smithsonian, in a statement. “Despite what the President may think, America’s cultural institutions are not run by dictatorial impulses.”

On Tuesday a White House official provided The Post a list of 17 instances in which, the White House argued, Sajet was critical of Trump or outspoken about her support for diversity, equity and inclusion. The list included her donations to Democratic politicians and advocacy groups; a social media post praising Anthony S. Fauci; the caption for the museum’s presidential portrait of Trump mentioning his two impeachments and “incitement of insurrection” for the events of Jan. 6, 2021; and numerous quotes from interviews in a variety of publications about her efforts to represent a broad swath of Americans within the gallery’s walls.

One item on the list was a quote in a 2019 USA Today story about Black artists demanding representation in American artistic institutions: “We owe it to Americans to reflect them because we owe it to accurate history,” Sajet says. “I’m not interested in only having a museum for some people.”

The list additionally took issue with remarks Sajet has made in support of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, and criticism of Columbus Day and her rejection of one artist’s 2016 portrait of Trump as “too political.” It notes that Sajet has commissioned artworks about Mexican immigration and “the complications of ancestral and racial history.” It was critical of her 2013 decision to use “50 percent of all money spent on art” to “support diverse artists and portrait subjects.”

Since its founding 179 years ago, the Smithsonian, which receives about 60 percent of its budget from federal appropriations and grants, has generally operated independently, although there have been several controversies in which museums have altered exhibitions in response to outside criticisms, including from politicians. Museum directors, such as Sajet — holders of some of the most prestigious positions in American arts — are not paid with federal funds, instead drawing their salaries from the Smithsonian’s trust fund.

Hours after Trump’s post, Bunch told Smithsonian staff in an email obtained by The Washington Post that the White House also sent new details of proposed cuts to the institution’s budget, slashing it by 12 percent and excluding funding for its Anacostia Community Museum and its forthcoming National Museum of the American Latino, Bunch said.

On Saturday, at the Portrait Gallery and SAAM’s joint family Pride celebration, a trio of visitors strolled the central courtyard in neon vests emblazoned with “Hands off the arts” on the back — closely watched by a Smithsonian staff member, who hovered nearby.

“I’m outraged” by Sajet’s firing, said Karen Nussbaum, 75, of Washington. “There’s a place for a political expression in art, but not political control of art.”

“I think the next step is controlling what artists think and do,” said Cynthia Cain, 60, of Washington, “and that’s not acceptable.”

Speaking Out

Why they call him The Boss

From Facebook

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A post shared by Shelly Coleman (@shellycolemanart)

Money

... always money.

It’s hard to quantify the value of painter and all-around cultural icon Bob Ross, but $9.85 million is a good start.

The very first on-air painting from the very first episode of Ross’ beloved series “The Joy of Painting” is looking for a new owner after being kept safe for decades by one of the show’s early volunteers.

“A Walk in the Woods” was painted live on-air in January of 1983, and typifies everything the public came to love about Ross and his art-positive mission. It depicts a placid woodland scene in shades of gold and blue, painted with Ross’ preferred “wet on wet” technique, with deceptively complex-looking brushstrokes and, of course, an abundance of happy little trees. In the lower lefthand corner, Ross’ signature stands out in red.

The work was acquired by Minneapolis-based art gallery Modern Artifact earlier this year. Before that, it was owned by a one-time volunteer at the Falls Church, Virginia PBS station where the first season of “The Joy of Painting” was aired. The volunteer bought it in November of 1983 at a station fundraising auction, just months after it was painted. It has been verified as authentic by Bob Ross Inc.

What Freedom

Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom

One of the most significant contributions by an African American slave in the construction of the Capitol was made by Philip Reid.

When construction of the Capitol began in 1793, Washington, D.C., was little more than a rural landscape with dirt roads and few accommodations beyond a small number of boarding houses. Skilled labor was hard to find or attract to the fledgling city. Enslaved laborers, who were rented from their owners, were involved in almost every stage of construction. Philip Reid may be the single best known enslaved person associated with the Capitol's construction history.

Born around 1820, Reid was an enslaved laborer in the foundry run by the self-taught sculptor Clark Mills, who cast the Statue of Freedom. Mills was a former resident of South Carolina, where he had purchased Reid in Charleston for $1,200. Mills stated he purchased Reid, "many years ago when he was quite a youth... because of his evident talent for the business in which your petitioner was engaged, and paid twelve hundred dollars for him."

Mills brought Reid with him when he moved to Washington in the late 1840s when Mills won the competition for an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson commissioned for Lafayette Park.

In order to construct the Jackson statue, a temporary foundry was erected south of the White House and, through trial and error, Mills, Reid and other workmen produced the first bronze statue ever cast in America. The accomplishment was extraordinary due to the absence of any formal training of any of the participants.

In 1860, the success of the Jackson statue prompted the secretary of war to give Mills the commission for casting Thomas Crawford's Statue of Freedom for the top of the Capitol's new dome. A financial agreement was reached whereby the government would rent Mills' foundry, pay him $400 a month for his services and pay for necessary materials and labor.

Reid was the only known slave working on Freedom. He worked as a laborer along side James A. Riddle, Peter Coyl, Resin (Rezin) Offutt, and Mikel Shedy (Michael Sheedy). As an enslaved worker Reid was paid directly for his work on Sundays; his owner received the payment for his work the other six days. He was paid at $1.25 per day, higher than the other laborers who received $1 a day.

Reid worked most weeks without a break between July 1, 1860, and May 16, 1861: over that period he was paid $41.25 for 33 Sundays at $1.25 per day, for "Keeping up fires under the moulds." He signed with an X by his name. There are no known images of Reid. (?)

While unable to read or write, Reid was described by Mills as, "aged 42 years, mullatto [sic] color, short in stature, in good health, not prepossessing in appearance but smart in mind, a good workman in a foundry..."

In June 1860, casting of the Statue of Freedom began. The first step was to disassemble the plaster model of the statue into its five main sections in order to move it from the Capitol to the foundry. The model was shipped from Rome to the United States in five main sections, and upon its arrival, an Italian sculptor was hired to assemble the model. However, when the time came to move the plaster model from the Capitol to the foundry for casting, no one knew how to separate it and the Italian sculptor refused to help unless given a pay raise. Fortunately, Philip Reid was there. He figured out that by using a pulley and tackle to pull up on the lifting ring at the top of the model the seams between the sections would be revealed. The statue was successfully separated into its five sections and transported to the foundry.

Philip Reid received his freedom on April 16, 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act that released certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia. It is not known if he witnessed the event, but Reid was a free man when the last piece of the Statue of Freedom was put into place atop the Capitol Dome on December 2, 1863.

Author S.D. Wyeth wrote in The Federal City in 1865, "Mr. Reed, the former slave, is now in business for himself, and highly esteemed by all who know him."

Thought to be Reid - unconfirmed

More AI

Artificial Intelligence - kinda sounds like that one guy we all know who argues vehemently, and with great confidence, but knows practically nothing.

So I wonder if AI will eventually follow the Dunning-Kruger model. Maybe we'll see reviews in the TechMags like, "This AI thinks it's amazing but it's really not."

Like anything else that holds great promise, AI carries with it great danger.

In the meantime, people are still in charge, and some of them are using AI to put out some really good stuff.

Ain't Nuthin' New Here

30,000 years ago, some cave schmuck

was prowling around on

the original social media, and

hit the jackpot when his crush

responded to the world's first

"send nudes"

Overheard

Art is not only a mirror

that reflects the world around us.

It's also a hammer

that can be used to shape it.

Today's GIF(s)

If Van Gogh had a computer

A Little Wackiness

From a redditor - marveldeadpool

One of his things is to buy prints or paintings at thrift stores and add a little something to liven them up a bit.

Classical

Line Rider - In The Hall Of The Mountain King - Edvard Grieg

Historical Accuracy

In the interest of truth and beauty - and trying to take a little break from the fucked up insanity of American politics...

What's the story on all that white marble?

And what's up with the gloves?

And now ya know a little more.

Painting

The Arts

Art Education helps us develop critical thinking skills and a sense of shared experience (empathy).

Brian Kasida & Daniel Bowen, Brookings:

Engaging with art is essential to the human experience. Almost as soon as motor skills are developed, children communicate through artistic expression. The arts challenge us with different points of view, compel us to empathize with “others,” and give us the opportunity to reflect on the human condition. Empirical evidence supports these claims: Among adults, arts participation is related to behaviors that contribute to the health of civil society, such as increased civic engagement, greater social tolerance, and reductions in other-regarding behavior. Yet, while we recognize art’s transformative impacts, its place in K-12 education has become increasingly tenuous.

A critical challenge for arts education has been a lack of empirical evidence that demonstrates its educational value. Though few would deny that the arts confer intrinsic benefits, advocating “art for art’s sake” has been insufficient for preserving the arts in schools—despite national surveys showing an overwhelming majority of the public agrees that the arts are a necessary part of a well-rounded education.

Gee - I wonder why "conservatives" are always trying to cut back on what the arts can do for us.

Maybe it's because the problems we love to bitch about - poverty, crime, ignorance, tribalism, the degeneration of civil discourse, etc - can be at least partly attributed to the erosion of the skills we need, but don't get to learn about anymore, because Republicans keep shitting on the arts by cutting the funding.

And maybe those problems are due to deliberate efforts to cause the problems, blame it all on "the other", and then trade on that disinformation to gain ideological advantage and political power.

The GOP Playbook, Page 1:

1. Fuck something up
2. Wait
3. Point at it and say, "Whoa, look - it's fucked up."
4. Run for office by promising to fix it
5. "Fix" it by contracting the solution out to your pals
6. Collect "contributions" from those pals
7. Get re-elected as a "Problem Solver"
8. Start again at #1 above

- and -

We find that a substantial increase in arts educational experiences has remarkable impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Relative to students assigned to the control group, treatment school students experienced a 3.6 percentage point reduction in disciplinary infractions, an improvement of 13 percent of a standard deviation in standardized writing scores, and an increase of 8 percent of a standard deviation in their compassion for others. In terms of our measure of compassion for others, students who received more arts education experiences are more interested in how other people feel and more likely to want to help people who are treated badly.

When we restrict our analysis to elementary schools, which comprised 86 percent of the sample and were the primary target of the program, we also find that increases in arts learning positively and significantly affect students’ school engagement, college aspirations, and their inclinations to draw upon works of art as a means for empathizing with others. In terms of school engagement, students in the treatment group were more likely to agree that school work is enjoyable, makes them think about things in new ways, and that their school offers programs, classes, and activities that keep them interested in school. We generally did not find evidence to suggest significant impacts on students’ math, reading, or science achievement, attendance, or our other survey outcomes, which we discuss in our full report.

Fun With Forced Perspective

Somewhere in Bolivia