U.S. Pavilion Under Scrutiny

The U.S. Pavilion reached the Venice Biennale with more attention on its process than on the art inside. (localnews8.com) CNN reported on April 23 that curator Jeffrey Uslip was defending the project by phone and email as preview week approached in Venice. He said, “This is the smoothest exhibition I’ve curated in 30 years,” and said the team had “complete artistic autonomy.” (localnews8.com) The exhibition is “Alma Allen: Call Me the Breeze,” organized by commissioner Jenni Parido and curator Jeffrey Uslip after the State Department selected the American Arts Conservancy on November 24, 2025. The Department said Allen would make several new sculptures, including one for the pavilion forecourt. (state.gov) The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s biggest recurring art exhibitions, where countries mount national shows in permanent or semi-permanent pavilions. The 61st edition runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, with previews on May 6, 7 and 8. (labiennale.org) The U.S. entry matters because the pavilion is an official national presentation managed through the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection says the U.S. Pavilion has worked with U.S. government cultural agencies for decades, and the State Department says it oversees official U.S. participation. (guggenheim-venice.it, state.gov) This year’s scrutiny grew after months of uncertainty over whether the United States would even have a pavilion in Venice. CNN reported that delays, including the fall 2025 government shutdown, left organizers roughly six months to raise money and mount a show that typically takes more than a year. (localnews8.com) Coverage also focused on who was put in charge. The New York Times reported on April 19 that the State Department had overhauled the selection process and gave control to Jenni Parido, whom it described as a former pet food store owner. (nytimes.com) The official line from Washington framed the show differently. In its November announcement, the State Department said Allen’s work would explore “elevation” and advance the Trump administration’s focus on showcasing “American excellence.” (state.gov) Allen’s selection followed an earlier collapse. ARTnews and Artsy both reported that a previously selected proposal by artist Robert Lazzarini and curator John Ravenal fell through before the Allen project was announced. (artnews.com, artsy.net) So the early story around the U.S. Pavilion is a split screen: a high-profile national art stage opening in Venice on May 9, and a curator insisting the exhibition itself is on track. For now, both accounts are traveling together. (labiennale.org, localnews8.com)