Daily Newsletter
The Smithsonian Secretary calls it quits amid White House political pressure, artist Lucien Smith dies at 37, and your weekly museum heist in Europe.
Lonnie G. Bunch III has had it. After months of incessant harassment and political prodding from the Trump White House, the Smithsonian Secretary announced that he’s quitting his job with “very mixed emotions.” What a sad way to kick off the fall season.
It’s also sad to see New York artist Lucien Smith die at the very young age of 37. Once a market darling, he had abandoned the commercial art world for more community-focused work. Associate Editor Phillip Pyle looks back at his life and career.
Also in the news: Another week, another museum heist in Europe. This time, two paintings disappear from the Renoir Museum in southern France. According to police, the thieves dropped two other paintings in the museum’s garden while officers chased them.
Much more to read below, including John Yau on Law & Order writer and producer René Balcer, who also happens to be a photographer. Maybe Balcer can help Europe with its museum heist problem … DUN DUN.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
The Law & Order Writer Who Moonlights as an Artist
Is René Balcer a street photographer, a documentary photographer, or a landscape photographer? All the above and more.
Despite his achievements as a producer and writer for Law & Order — including a Primetime Emmy Award and multiple Edgar Awards — the throughline of Balcer’s life was direct photography.
After studying poetry and photography at Concordia University in Montreal and taking a six-month seminar taught by the French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, Balcer worked as a cameraman, war reporter, editor, scriptwriter, documentary filmmaker, and film critic. Like Godard and other New Wave filmmakers, Balcer wrote reviews and made films, merging commentary and creativity. | John Yau
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Apply for a 2027–2028 Fellowship at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Fellowships at SAAM and its Renwick Gallery provide scholars with access to collections, community, and professional advancement.
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News
Feature
Book Review
America in the Making
A new exhibition at the Addison Gallery of American Art examines how art throughout U.S. history reflects a growing national identity.
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—Seph Rodney on What the Art World Doesn’t Want You to Know About Yayoi Kusama
ICYMI
Gulf Coast Journal — Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing
Gulf Coast invites entries for the 2026 Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Win $3,000 for first place or $1,000 as a runner-up. This year’s judge is critic Andrew Berardini.
Deadline: September 14, 2026 | gulfcoastmag.org
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