Protesters in Minneapolis following the ICE agent killing of observer Renee Good on January 7, 2026. (Photo: Chad Davis via Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0)
Several galleries, museums, and other cultural institutions around the country participated in the nationwide general strike against ICE last week. Held on January 30, 2026, the National Shutdown strike encouraged people not to attend work, school, or do any shopping throughout the day. The initiative was the latest in a slew of protests opposing ICE and Border Patrol’s violent takeover of Minneapolis.
In New York, blue-chip galleries like Almine Rech, Gagosian, David Zwirner, Marian Goodman, Paula Cooper, and Pace all shuttered their locations in observance of the general strike. Smaller organizations around the city, including Ulterior, Hannah Traore, and Hesse Flatow, also closed for the day.
“It was an easy decision. Our program is shaped by artists and audiences from many backgrounds, including immigrant communities,” Joseph Ian Henrikson, founder of New York’s Anonymous Gallery, told artnet. “In that spirit, we are happy to pause operations for the day in solidarity with those advocating for safety, dignity, and equitable treatment.”
The strike wasn’t just exclusive to New York. Over on the West Coast, industry heavyweights like the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, and the Brick participated in the strike, alongside museums local to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, such as Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center. Galleries in states like Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin expressed their solidarity as well. Even organizations abroad closed their doors.
“I’m an American immigrant living in France. I grew up in New York, proud to live in the great Melting Pot. My ancestors fled there to escape famine, persecution, war,” Brigitte Mulholland, whose eponymous gallery is based in Paris, wrote on Instagram. “The gallery will be closed tomorrow in solidarity, and I will not be spending any money with U.S. companies as well.”
According to ARTnews, it seems as though New York’s Astor Weeks, Silke Lindner, and Margot Samel were the first three galleries to announce their participation in the strike. Their call to action was originally shared via email, but it quickly gained traction on social media and beyond.
“Watching those events makes it hard to continue with business as usual, especially in a cultural field that so often speaks about care and responsibility,” Samel adds. Lindner echoes the sentiment: “It’s not a time to be quiet.”
Following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, protests have erupted across the U.S. in response to ICE’s brutality and use of lethal force. ICE agents have killed at least eight people so far this year, including Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Víctor Manuel Díaz. In 2025, federal agents fatally shot at least 32 people while in ICE custody, including Keith Porter Jr. on New Year’s Eve. As of this writing, President Trump continues to insist that ICE protestors are “paid agitators and insurrectionists.”
To support activists and immigrants in Minneapolis and beyond, browse this list of resources.
Several galleries, museums, and other cultural institutions around the country participated in a nationwide general strike against ICE last week.
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Held on January 30, 2026, the National Shutdown strike encouraged participants not to attend work, school, or do any shopping throughout the day.
Protestors marching against ICE in downtown Durham, N.C., on January 30, 2026. (Photo: Willthacheerleader18 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0)
Sources: Gagosian, David Zwirner, Pace, and Dozens More Galleries Join Anti-ICE National Strike; Leading U.S. Museums and Galleries Join Nationwide Strike Protesting ICE; U.S. Galleries and Art Spaces Shut Their Doors to Protest ICE
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