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As we set aside this question about America’s 250th anniversary, I feel very uncertain. Regarding the fate of the country itself, amid the ICE killings and protests in Minneapolis, I’m certainly not sure. But I’m also unsure about something more concrete and symbolic: the fate of the Cohen Tower murals, which will be sold or possibly removed by the Trump administration. As I write this, artists such as Joyce Kozloff and Martha Rosler have just called on the Jewish Museum in New York to support their preservation of these artworks by artists such as Ben Shahn and Philip Guston.

The Cohen Building murals were commissioned by the United States in the 1930s as part of the New Deal’s numerous art projects and, as art historian John P. Murphy writes in this issue, today serve as an example of “the principle that art is by the people, for the people, and essential to a healthy democracy.” Murphy explained that while the Cohen Building murals are worthy of preservation in their own right, they are also worthy of preservation because they represent the program’s goal of “integrating art into the fabric of a diverse society.”

That’s right, on this anniversary, we—american artAfter all – to celebrate our country’s artistic achievements; as we do in this book, it’s also right that we acknowledge its flaws, whether that means pointing out its history of colonialism or racism and xenophobia. My biggest concern right now is that the current administration’s rhetorical efforts to make America stronger will have the effect of weakening America. Literally make it small and local. Contrary to the shining city on a hill, it is more like a backwater.

In January, love The staff were discussing the Statue of Liberty artwork by Puppies Puppies (Jadeguanaro Kuriki-Olivo) on the cover of this issue, which I remember viewing from the balcony of Art Basel in Paris, where the sculpture debuted back in October. I remember how deflated Lady Liberty looked as she lay on the pedestal of the sarcophagus. A gift from France to the United States in 1886, she became a beacon of hope for millions of immigrants; in 2026, our president will recklessly, senselessly, and arbitrarily threaten France with tariffs and round up immigrants just as recklessly, senselessly, and arbitrarily. It’s a shame, as the artwork is so relatable.

A woman stands on the shoulders of a man with a gun and waves an American flag. — Installation close-up at SP Dinsmoor *Garden of Eden*1907-32, in Lucas, Kansas; featured in American Art A to Z.

Photo Erika Nelson/SP Dinsmoor Courtesy of Friends of Eden

feature

American Art from A to Z
250 years of art history told in alphabetical order by 26 different authors.

MAGA art theory
In the movie, if you squint, the Third Reich and the Republican Party appear to be aligned.
by Becca Rosfeld

worker holding brush
How the New Deal viewed art as key to democracy.
Author: John P. Murphy

A figure wearing a strange pink outfit, large breasts and bunny ears. — The Playboy Bunny character in Pat Oleszko’s show series “New Yuck Womun,” 1971.

Photo Neil Selkirk

department

Notepad
A highly selective list of things to experience in the next three months.
Written by AiA Editor

cruel truth
An artist second-guesses his gallery and a once formidable figure frets about his own ranking of power. Plus, there are interactive quizzes.
Chen and Lambert

sight
Artist and writer Fab 5 Freddy tells us what he likes.
by Andy Battaglia

ask
Q&A with Pat Oleszko about ridiculous fights and flirtations.
by Nicole Kak

Revelation
A beloved novelist picks up Rose Saran’s work 60 rings detected.
Ben Lerner

battle royale
Popism and Minimalism—two American art movements going head-to-head.
Written by AiA Editor

Newcomer
Maia Chao finds humor in banal bureaucracy.
Author: Simon Wu

syllabus
Reading list for a crash course in Marcel Duchamp.
Author: Ara H. Merjian

appreciate
A tribute to textile artist Napoleon Jones Henderson, who brought exuberant energy to art and life.
Author: Geoffrey DeBlois

critical eye
A unique Nordic sensibility ignites a quiet craze.
by Emily Cox

spotlight
Raphael was a prolific painter who died before the age of 40. A retrospective has a leading expert thinking: What if he was still alive?
Author: Christian K. Kleinbu

book review
Interpretation of Daniel Spaulding’s Works Joseph Beuys and History.
by Emily Watlington

cover artist
Puppies Puppies (Jade Guarnaro Kuriki-Olivo) talks about her artwork on the cover of Puppy Magazine love