MASS MoCA lost a $50,000 NEA grant in May 2025 for Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibit “Power Full Because We’re Different”, a large-scale installation of beaded garments celebrating queer and Indigenous communities.
MASS MoCA hosts diverse, often provocative installations such as:
EJ Hill’s “Brake Run Helix” (2023), funded by a $45,000 NEA grant, featured a pink roller coaster exploring themes of joy and Black identity.
Vincent Valdez’s “Just a Dream…” (2025), a survey of American societal “failings and triumphs,” addresses politics and identity through multimedia.
These works align with contemporary art’s focus on social issues, which critics like you often label “woke” for emphasizing diversity, equity, or marginalized narratives. This reflects a broader trend in contemporary art museums, where conceptual and socially engaged works dominate over technical mastery in classical techniques (e.g., oil painting, marble sculpture).
I wonder if American Indians like being lumped in with queers.