The Smithsonian Institution has approved the Arts and Industries Building (AIB) in Washington, DC as the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino.
In a statement dated 31 August, the Smithsonian said it will convert the Arts and Industries Building into the new museum, meaning it can bypass congressional approval for a new site.
“Congress authorized the museum in December 2020 and directed the Smithsonian to conduct a site-selection process that included the evaluation of the AIB,” the Smithsonian said.
Smithsonian’s AIB to be converted
Other sites considered for the new museum included an undeveloped plot of land located north of the Capitol reflecting pool, another undeveloped plot on the National Mall, and more undeveloped land overseen by the National Park Service.
The designation of the Arts and Industries Building “concludes the site-selection process for the National Museum of the American Latino”, the Smithsonian said.
Recently reopened to celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Arts and Industries Building is one of the Smithsonian’s most iconic buildings.
As for the National Museum of the American Latino, it opened its first exhibition and gallery at the National Museum of American History in 2022.
Completed in 1855, the Castle in Washington, DC is the Smithsonian Institution’s signature buildingSmithsonian
The Molina Family Latino Gallery is previewing the upcoming museum through exhibitions and programmes over the next 10 years ahead of the opening.
“It will take 10 to 12 years to open a museum building, but the gallery gives the public a preview of the museum’s potential,” said Jorge Zamanillo, director of the National Museum of the American Latino.
Earlier this summer, the White House released a report criticising the Smithsonian’s leadership and accusing the institution of “extreme political activism”.
Titled ‘Saving America’s Story’, the 162-page report is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing review of the Smithsonian.
