How is the attack on arts and culture in the U.S. impacting Canada?
Panelists: Jordan Laffrenier, Sascha Priewe, Robin Stevenson
Moderator: Brendan de Caries
Related Readings & Resources
Canada Cultural Sector & Trump
- David Browne, “‘We’re Expecting a Shitshow’: Canadian Musicians Grapple With Trump’s Threats,” Rolling Stone, March 20, 2025.
- Gordon Cox, “What 'Elbows Up' Means for Canada's Theater Market,” Substack, August 1, 2025.
- “DEI is under attack in American arts institutions. Is Canada next?” Indigenous Watchdog, March 8, 2025.
- Daniel Grant, “Trump tariffs could hit Canadian art market hardest,” The Art Newspaper, March 3, 2025.
- Sarah E. K. Smith, “Expert insight: Why culture has always been at the centre of trade wars,” Western News, May 14, 2025,
- Bob Tarantino, Paul Lalonde, and Michael Zolandz, “Tariffs on the arts: The impact of Canada-US trade tensions on media and entertainment,” Dentons, February 13, 2025.
- Kate Taylor, “When it comes to Canadian culture in the U.S. trade war, history is repeating itself,” Globe and Mail, October 17, 2025. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/article-digital-regulations-trade-talks/
- Kelly Wilhem and Miriam Kramer, “Trump, tariffs and trade: What’s at stake for the arts and creative industries?” OCAD Cultural Policy Hub, 2025
- Dorothy Woodend, “Trump Is Using Culture to Reshape Society: Here in Canada, we have a unique opportunity to fight back,” The Tyee, August 8, 2025 https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2025/08/08/Trump-Culture-Reshape-Society/
Challenges Facing Libraries
General info on book bans in US
Anthology of the impact of bans on authors
Challenges to books, library programs, and exhibits/displays in Canada
- CFE Library Challenges Database
Challenges Facing Museums
- Geraldine Kendall Adams, “Trump interference could have ‘chilling effect across entire museum sector’: US museum bodies speak out against 'growing threat' of government censorship,” Museums Journal, August 19, 2025.
- Kimberlé Crenshaw and Jason Stanley, “Why Trump’s ‘anti-woke’ attack on the Smithsonian matters,” The Guardian, August 27, 2025.
- Lee Davidson and Leticia Pérez-Castellano, Cosmopolitan Ambassadors: International exhibitions, cultural diplomacy and the polycentral museum Hardcover. Vernon Press, 2019
- Kylie Message, “Trump isn’t the first US politician to pick a fight with the Smithsonian. But this time could be different,” The Conversation August 28, 2025
Challenges Facing the Arts
Trump Executive Orders directly affecting the Arts and Culture
- Executive Order on “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions”
- Revokes President Biden’s Executive Order #14084 promoting arts, humanities, museums, and library services. This rescission immediately eliminated the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities on January 20, 2025.
- Executive Order on “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” January 20, 2025
- The first of Trump’s anti DEI Orders. It requires that federal agencies, departments or commission heads terminate all (i) DEI offices and positions, (ii) “equity” plans, actions, initiatives or programs and “equity-related” grants or contracts, and (iii) DEI or DEIA “performance requirements for employees, contractors or grantees.”
- Executive Order on “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” January 21, 2025.
- It requires executive departments and agencies to terminate “all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders and requirements.” The order rescinds Executive Order 11246, issued in 1965 by President Johnson, which required federal contractors to develop and implement affirmative action plans to identify and address underrepresentation based on sex or race.
- Executive Order on “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism”, March 27, 2025.
- Defines “sex” as an individual’s “immutable biological classification as either male or female,” removing any concept of “gender identity.” It directs agencies to remove all statements, policies, regulations or other documents or forms of communications that “inculcate gender ideology” and prohibits use of federal funds to promote gender ideology
- Executive Order on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” March 27, 2025
- This executive order directs members of the President’s Cabinet to work with Congress to defund Smithsonian Museum budgets, exhibits, and programs that “divide Americans based on race” or acknowledge transgender identity. The order specifically cites the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum (SAWHM), which does not currently have a physical structure, as perpetuating “divisive, race-centered ideology” and “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” The order also directs the Secretary of the Interior to reinstate and restore the names of monuments on federal property that have been taken down since 2020 and to ensure that all descriptions and depictions of public monuments do not “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.
Court Cases
Mahmoud v. Taylor - U.S. Supreme Court Case (involving Robin Stevenson)
U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled in favour of parents’ demand, on religious grounds, that they be able to remove their children from school to prevent them being exposed to Robin Stevenson’s and other LGBTQ+ friendly story books for children. The decision is controversial because, arguably, it constitutes viewpoint discrimination, contrary to the U.S. First Amendment and both legally and practically denies students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society.
https://nwlc.org/the-devastating-impacts-of-mahmoud-v-taylor-on-inclusive-education-from-an-impacted-students-perspective/
General Background
Event Details
Healthy democracy requires a vibrant arts and cultural sector that encourages freedom of expression and critical thinking and makes possible important opportunities for public discussion and dissent. Join a panel from different sectors exploring what the unprecedented attacks on arts and culture in the U.S. mean for Canada and for our artists, writers, and cultural organizations?
Co-sponsored by Mass Culture/Mobilisation culturelle and PEN Canada
Panelists
- Jordan Laffrenier, Associate Artistic Director, Canadian Stage
- Sascha Priewe, President, ICOM Canada
- Robin Stevenson, Award-winning Canadian author of thirty books for kids and teens
Moderator
- Brendan de Caries, Executive Director, PEN Canada
Zoom link to event torontomu.zoom.us/j/91941276567
This is a free event and no registration is required.
Please contact cfe@torontomu.ca if you require accommodation to ensure inclusion in this event.