In the early 1990s, I developed an exhibit for the Downey Museum of Art
in Downey, Calif. called "Contemporary Visions of the Virgen de Guadalupe."
Artists from California, Tejas and Mexico City participated in the show.
We did receive slides of some work which I (a former Catholic) deemed
offensive to the Catholic population and we didn't accept it.  One was
a slide of a mural of La Virgen on the floor.  Exhibit viewers were
encouraged to walk on La Virgen to get to see an item pasted on the wall.
This was a copy cat work similiar to the Flag issue years ago.  I wrote
and produced a brochure which discussed the work and reasons why
some workds were included and others not.  The key issue here was
"sensitivity" to the Catholic population.  There were some playful
pieces which depicted La Virgen including a more controversial
piece, a silkscreen print featuring the Virgen on the back of a Lesbian
by San Francisco Chicano artist Ester Hernandez, but no one complained
about the show in general.  It was a success and it helped the museum
open some doors for support from the Latino community.

Miguel Juarez