Dear Candace,
Please, no "Mr. Heuman" for me. (I can't help but look around for my
father when I hear that. LOL!) My previous message was merely soap box
politics . . . a personal statement about how messed up is our society.
I sympathize and, in no way, take your chosen position as whining. It
is important for every person to take a stand with which s/he is
comfortable. In fact, I admire your neutral stance in dealing with the
public, as that allows the artist's artwork to represent itself. (Isn't
that what artwork is meant to do?)
I hope your museum does not experience what one college gallery in Salt
Lake City just experienced - the theft of artwork viewed by some as
offensive. The works in question are photographs of two gay men, both
of whom performed their missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saint ("LDS" for short, a.k.a. Mormons). Thankfully, the
police issued a statement that they will treat this theft investigation
as they would any other theft investigation; that the nature of the
artwork in question will not be a factor. For more information, please
see:
"New Art Exhibit Creates Controversy" (March 9)
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=39&sid=80032
"SLCC art attracts more viewers - and complaints" (March 11)
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595048211,00.html
"Three Photos Stolen From Gay-Missionary Art Exhibit" (March 12)
http://www.4utah.com/local_news/local_headlines/story.aspx?content_id=63
54DF19-23EB-4551-A02C-C694AC61FDC1
"Controversial artwork stolen from school" (March 12?)
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Mar/03122004/utah/147033.asp
We live in a country that prides itself on a fictitious freedom for all
ideology.
[Disclaimer: The views in this message are personal and do not represent
the museum or university at which he works . . . nor the city, state or
nation in which he has chosen to live. Sad, eh?]
Best wishes, sincerely,
Jay Heuman, Curator of Education
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art
Utah State University
4020 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-4020
T 435.797.0165
F 435.797.3423
Education costs money, but then so does ignorance.
Sir Charles Moser, b. 1922
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Candace Perry
> Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 12:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Censorship and respecting people's beliefs
>
> Mr. Heuman: Please rest assured that I very much agree with
> your thoughts...however...
> as the risk of sounding whiny, I shall say that I do not wish
> to explain this to anyone, and just a few moments ago, coward
> that I am, I walked away from two elderly gentlemen who were
> in that section of the exhibit, reading everything very
> carefully. I wish we lived in a time that despite Carson
> Kressly (who hails from Allentown PA, I'm told!), Ellen
> DeGeneres and the like, I would not have to worry about the
> stress of explaining someone's lifestyle choices. Alas, I
> put myself in this position, unwittingly, so I suppose I will
> deal with the questions, should they come.
> I'm actually thinking of the postive spin now...the first gay
> fraktur exhibition EVER...really quite extraordinary.
> He also included a nice piece dedicated to Matthew Shepherd,
> which is quite moving. I wish he'd used that as the centerpiece.
> Candace Perry (who is cowering in her office)
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