The Artistic Freedom Monitor (AFM) is a first-of-its-kind tracking and accountability platform created by Artistic Freedom Initiative to document government actions that threaten artistic freedom and the independence of cultural institutions in the United States. Led by Artistic Freedom Initiative, the AFM is developed in partnership with Democracy Forward, Human Rights First, and the Pro Bono Programs at Stanford Law School and UC Berkeley School of Law.
The AFM January–March 2026 Quarterly Update provides a snapshot of key findings from the Monitor’s ongoing documentation in the first quarter of 2026. Building on the 2025 year-in-review, this period was marked by a continued stream of government restrictions on artistic freedom in the United States, including a coordinated wave of state legislation criminalizing LGBTQ+ artistic expression, expanded book bans in public schools, federal interference in the programming and governance of cultural institutions, and the downstream effects of 2025 funding cuts. Together, these developments illustrate how government action in early 2026 continued to shape the conditions under which art is created, presented, and accessed, while raising concerns about potential chilling effects across the arts and culture sector.
Click below to read the AFM USA Quarterly Update: January-March 2026, and explore the AFM tracker today.
