The Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has quietly closed and will remain shuttered until April 2026, marking a significant setback for the nascent National Museum of the American Latino. The closure comes after the Trump administration targeted several artworks from the gallery's exhibition in its recent review of Smithsonian content, raising concerns about federal pressure on cultural institutions.

On Friday morning, August 22, illustrator Felipe Galindo Gómez discovered that his 1999 artwork "4th of July from the south border" had been featured on the White House's list of objectionable Smithsonian exhibitions and artworks. Galindo's illustration had been displayed since 2022 as part of the "Presente! A Latino History of the United States" exhibition in the Molina Family Latino Gallery, specifically on a label addressing anti-immigrant prejudice. The gallery has served as the temporary home for the National Museum of the American Latino over the past three years.

When Galindo, who also goes by the name Feggo, traveled from New York City to Washington, D.C., to check on his artwork, he found the exhibition had been closed. A sign indicated the gallery would reopen in spring 2026. According to the Smithsonian's website, "Presente!" was originally scheduled to close at the end of November in preparation for programming celebrating the United States' 250th birthday. However, the exhibition was actually shuttered on July 20, four months earlier than planned.

The early closure follows President Trump's March executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution and the release of his Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which notably excluded funding for the National Museum of the American Latino. The timing has resulted in the gallery remaining closed throughout Hispanic Heritage Month this fall, creating a lengthy period of inactivity for the fledgling museum's only current physical gallery space, which director Jorge Zamanillo has called the institution's "first iteration."

A Smithsonian spokesperson cited preparations for the institution's "Our Shared Future: 250" programming as the reason for the exhibition's premature closure. "The National Museum of the American Latino is participating in the Smithsonian's celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary and wanted to meet the spring 2026 deadline for opening the Puro Ritmo exhibition," the spokesperson explained, referring to the upcoming show "Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa" at the Molina gallery. The spokesperson added that museum staff needed the space to safely de-install "Presente" and transition the area into a staging ground for the renovation and installation of the new exhibition.

The salsa-themed exhibition reportedly represents a softer alternative to a previously planned exhibition on Latino youth movements that faced significant conservative backlash. Before Trump's crackdown on the Smithsonian began, that proposed exhibition was widely criticized by conservatives who disagreed with its focus on colonization and threatened to withhold federal funding for the museum in 2023. The Smithsonian spokesperson did not directly address whether Trump's museum reviews or executive action influenced the decision to close the Molina Gallery in July.

The Trump administration has repeatedly pushed the Smithsonian to promote "unity, progress, and enduring values" in time for the country's 250th anniversary next year. Earlier this month, the administration demanded that Smithsonian museums submit their 250th anniversary plans to align messaging with the White House "Salute to America 250" Task Force. The administration's probe has already launched a review of exhibitions planned for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as part of its larger investigation into museum content.

Three of the works named on the White House's list were created by living artists who were born in Mexico, including Galindo, raising questions about how the institution will protect its Latino artists under federal government pressure. When a staff member told Galindo that the museum was "rotating" the exhibition, he recalled thinking, "Is that a new word for censoring?" Trump's government referenced the U.S.'s 250th anniversary nine times in its letter to the Smithsonian announcing its review and forthcoming "content corrections."

Galindo's 1999 illustration, which appeared in the 2010 book "Manhatitlan: An Intertwining of Mexican and American Cultures," reflects his perspective on immigration during that era. "It's something that reflected, in my case, how I saw immigration at that time," Galindo explained. The artwork was created during the 1990s when former President Bill Clinton's administration had cracked down on border crossings, including by installing fences. Galindo's work addressed the increasing militarization of the border, featuring a boy peering over a red and white-striped fence at blue and white fireworks.

"I know art is very powerful and makes people ponder. That's the idea. It's not threatening," Galindo said. "It's very disheartening to see [this] from people who are in power." The closure represents a significant challenge for the National Museum of the American Latino, which is currently facing an uncertain future under the Trump administration and struggling to maintain its physical presence and programming while navigating federal pressure and funding uncertainties.