Committee for Cultural Policy

In 2025, the U.S. is imposing sweeping restrictions on the import of cultural property from thirty-four countries, blocking access to art, antiques, and collectibles that have been in legal circulation for decades. These restrictions, tied to diplomatic agreements known as MOUs, cover everything from coins and pottery to religious artifacts, and even prevent diaspora communities from reclaiming their own cultural heritage. The government claims these measures protect against looting, but critics argue they’re overly broad, impacting legal collectors, museums, and communities without evidence of looting or trafficking.

Countries like Morocco and Vietnam are seeking even broader restrictions, raising concerns about authoritarian regimes using these agreements to bolster their own political agendas, while harming cultural exchange and legal collecting in the U.S.

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will soon vote on new five-year extensions for several countries, continuing a pattern of agreements that critics say disregard U.S. heritage laws and favor diplomatic goals over true preservation.

With such policies growing in scope and frequency, it’s time to ask: Are these actions protecting cultural heritage, or are they silencing the voices of communities who need access to their own history?

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More Bricks in Wall Against Art: Vietnam Import Ban Sought Watch for our special supplement articles on Vietnam, Italy, Chile, and Morocco coming January 24! As 2025 begins, the United States blocks import of virtually all art and antiques from thirty-four countries. Blanket import restrictions deny

The National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) is challenging traditional ideas of art authenticity with a groundbreaking exhibition opening in March 2025. It will feature 19th-century plaster casts alongside cutting-edge 3D-printed replicas of Michelangelo’s iconic works, like David and Medici Madonna. These reproductions aim to make globally scattered masterpieces more accessible while sparking a conversation about what it means to truly experience art.

The exhibition, curated by Matthias Wivel, explores whether perfect replicas can enhance our connection to history or if they strip away emotional resonance. It also raises fascinating questions about the role of destruction in art, using the example of Infant John the Baptist, which was damaged during the Spanish Civil War and now carries its scars as part of its story. Through this innovative show, SMK invites visitors to rethink the role of authenticity, context, and technology in understanding art.

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Denmark Michelangelo Exhibition: Another Side of Art Reproduction One hundred fifty years ago, students of art history learned through engravings and often heavy-handed reproductions and plaster casts of iconic works. Few could afford to travel to see original world masterpieces. Today’s technologically sophisticated

Efforts to return ritual skulls taken by colonial missionaries to Papua New Guinea have hit an unexpected roadblock: modern Papuan communities have refused to accept them. The skulls, once used in ceremonial practices along the Sepik River, were intricately decorated and held deep spiritual significance for the Iatmul people. However, during colonial times, they were collected as symbols of "savagery" and became prized objects in Europe. The Missiemuseum in the Netherlands recently initiated discussions about returning five of these skulls, but despite their historical value, the Iatmul communities declined, citing fears of curses and the loss of spiritual meaning over time. Villagers view the skulls as relics of a bygone era with no practical relevance today.

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Papuan Tribes Refuse Return of Ritual Skulls, Citing Curses and Loss of Relevance Efforts to return ritual skulls collected by colonial missionaries to their place of origin have faced an unexpected obstacle: the modern-day Papuan communities have firmly refused to take them back. Ritual skulls, crafted by the Iatmul

Recently, a longtime member of the Committee for Cultural Policy’s Board of Directors, John Gilmore Ford, passed away at his home in Baltimore, Maryland.

John served as a trustee of the Freer-Sackler Museum and the Walters Art Museum, where he became a Trustee Emeritus. His leadership on the South Asian and Himalayan Acquisitions Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and as chairman of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust exemplified his commitment to preserving cultural heritage. Under his guidance, the Trust undertook dozens of restoration projects, safeguarding Nepal’s architectural treasures.

John and Berthe’s gifts to the Walters Art Museum, including over 200 sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects, formed the foundation of the museum’s South Asian and Himalayan art galleries. Their legacy lives on at the museum in the Arts of Asia: Art of India, Nepal, and Tibet – The John and Berthe Ford Gallery, a testament to their dedication to making art accessible to all.

Read more about John's remarkable contributions by clicking the link below.

John Gilmore Ford (1928–2024) A Life Devoted to Art, Preservation, and Public Access It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of John Gilmore Ford, a longtime member of the Committee for Cultural Policy's Board of Directors, on December 21, 2024, at his home in Baltimore,

Part IV of our Cultural Cookbook series to ring in the New Year features recipes from the grandmother of CCP’s Executive Director, Kate Fitz Gibbon. Hazel and Kate’s grandfather Clarence “Pop” Williams were born just after the turn of the century in Berkeley, California. Hazel worked as a telephone operator at the local newspaper, the Berkeley Daily Gazette. Kate shares a collection of her recipes, and those belonging to her grandmother’s friends, including Mrs. Gaebler’s Apple Sauce Cake, Miss Lombard’s Gingerbread, and Hazel’s Sour Milk Biscuits. Hungry yet? Read more and get the recipes by clicking the link below.

Cultural Cookbook 4: Heirloom Desserts from Hazel’s Berkeley Kitchen The following recipes come straight from my grandmother Hazel Pinkerton’s recipe box! Hazel and my grandfather Clarence “Pop” Williams were born just after the turn of the century in Berkeley, California; Hazel in a house