-Forwarded
Attached is something I thought would interest everyone. It's
freightening. Comments?
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Date: Mon, 06 May 1996 08:01:21 -0800
From: David Jensen <[log in to unmask]>
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Subject: Art battles in NYC take turns for the better... and the
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Precedence: bulk
worse
Reposted from Arts Wire
____________________
Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 14:12:41 -0600 (MDT)
From: FINKELSTEIN RICHARD S <[log in to unmask]>
To: Arts-alert-usa <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Arts Battles in NYC take turns for the better....and
the worse
arts-alert-usa---------------(red)------------------------- 5/2/1996
On Friday 4/26 the 2nd circuit Federal Appeals Court heard oral
arguments in Lederman v. City of New York 94 civ. 7216
(MGC). The panel of three judges appeared unconvinced by Council
Member Freed and the SoHo Alliance's position that visual art,
"...does not involve communication of thoughts or ideas..." and
that public art displays pose a "danger" to the public. The judges
also agreed with the artist/plaintiffs represented by Dewey
Ballentine and the ACLU that the City had effectively and arbitrarily
instituted a total and unconstitutional ban on public displays of an
entire medium of expression.
On Sunday 4/28/96 20 plainclothes and uniformed police swooped down
on Prince Street and proceeded to handcuff and arrest artists,
destroy paintings and confiscate original art. Passing tourists,
store owners and residents were shocked by the large number of police
and the aggressiveness of the operation. Initially seven artists
were taken into custody, others managing to flee the area. A number
of the artists who were arrested had not yet displayed their art
but were merely standing and talking.
A.R.T.I.S.T. president Robert Lederman was arrested after taking
photos of the police tearing a painting in half and speaking to
passerbys about the illegality of the police actions. Lederman was
charged with Obstruction of Government
Justice and Disorderly Conduct.
NYPD officers on the scene said they'd been ordered by City Council
Member Kathryn Freed to make the arrests.
Approximately 250 original painting were confiscated or destroyed in
the operation. This brings the number of artist arrests in New York
City since 1993 to over 300. None of these artists has been found
guilty of any crime or given a trial.
The following individuals and organizations support artists' First
Amendment rights and have filed briefs in support of the artists in
this case:
The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum, The ACLU, Volunteer
Lawyers for the Arts, The College Arts
Association, the N.Y.C. Arts Coalition, The N.Y. Foundation for the
Arts, Ronald Feldman, art historians Irving Sandler and Simon Schama
and artists Claes Oldenburg, Chuck Close, Jenny Holzer, Hans Haacke
and David Hammons.
For more information contact (718) 369-2111 or visit the
A.R.T.I.S.T. web site: http://homepage.interaccess.com/~mar/nyc.html
Susan Banks
Executive Director
Alliance of Ohio Community Arts Agencies
77 S. High St., 2nd Fl.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 241-5327
Fax (614) 241-5329
URL: www.aok.state.oh.us
"Building Better Communities Through the Arts"
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