The Artist and Filmmaker Helping Trump Reshape WashingtonThe New York Times ^ | July 24, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET | Zachary SmallPosted on by E. Pluribus UnumMatthew Taylor, a conceptual artist and political strategist, made influential ads and documentaries produced by Steve Bannon. This year, Mr. Trump appointed Mr. Taylor to the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency that reviews government construction in Washington, to rubber-stamp approvals for projects such as the White House ballroom and the world’s tallest triumphal arch. Mr. Taylor consulted on the White House’s scathing report about the Smithsonian, which accused the National Museum of American History of promoting “extreme ideological activism.” Unlike other culture czars for the administration who have quickly come and gone, Mr. Taylor has an artistic background that makes him a distinct and persistent champion of the president’s vision.