Saturday, April 22, 2006
Another one for the politically correct University files.
Three days before his 10-piece exhibit -- Portraits of Terror -- was scheduled to open at the Patterson Building, Stulman (senior-painting and anthropology) received an e-mail message from the School of Visual Arts that said his exhibit on images of terrorism "did not promote cultural diversity" or "opportunities for democratic dialogue" and the display would be cancelled.
The exhibit, Stulman said, which is based mainly on the conflict in Palestinian territories, raises questions concerning the destruction of Jewish religious shrines, anti-Semitic propaganda and cartoons in Palestinian newspapers, the disregard for rules of engagement and treatment of prisoners, and the indoctrination of youth into terrorist acts.
"I'm being censored and the reason for censoring me doesn't make sense," Stulman said.
Charles Garoian, professor and director of the School of Visual Arts, said Stulman's controversial images did not mesh with the university's educational mission.
The decision to cancel the exhibit came after reviewing Penn State's Policy AD42: Statement on Nondiscrimination and Harassment and Penn State's Zero Tolerance Policy for Hate, he wrote...
The rest of the story, as well as a larger version of the picture, is here. I have no idea what Penn State's reputation is, or if they have a particular and obvious pattern of bias as say, DePaul University does, but it seems apparent that Penn State's Zero Tolerance for Hate policy also extends to being a prohibition against hating terrorists. The University's policy has wound up where all such well-meaning policies seem to end up, in stifling important expression and the examination of truth.
Those who are kind to the cruel, will in the end be cruel to the kind.
(H/T to Rishon Rishon for confirming -- through a coincidental Googling -- the Talmudic aphorism.)
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See my post.
http://dailyscorecard.blogspot.com/2006/04/art-exhibit-not-culturally-appropriate.html
Mike's very amusing post - excerpt
CV bio of Charles R. Garoian - the professor who censored Josh Stulman’s exhibit -
Garoian, C.R., Fighting censorship in the art classroom. School Arts: Inspiring Creativity in Teaching, Vol. 95, No. 14, December 1996 (with Albert A. Anderson).
YOU MISSED AN EVEN MORE PRESCIENT PART OF MY POST.
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Vancouver Art Exhibit of the Brutal Hook Nosed Israelis Causes Controversy
MONEY QUOTE COMING IN 1 2 3 4.........
SITE DIRECTOR'S EXPLANATION FOR ALLOWING THIS "ART EXHIBIT" -
Hypocrisy is damning.
Mike - great post. I didn't miss it, so much as I focused on the embarrassing detail you found on the professor who nixed the exhibit. These battles always have to be fought individually. Fighting this one at Penn State, the hypocrisy of pretending to be a great defender of art against censorship, then censoring an exhibit because you don't like the politics is damning. I hope somebody in State college embarrasses the hell out of this boz.
Good story, Mr. Solomonia. (Heard of this via Seraphic Secret blog.)
It would be one thing (and a more engaging, constructive thing) to let the exhibit the stand, and to then have a debate about the issue from its opponents. But what's being done to this aspiring student is a complete slap in the face. It's Soviet-style academicism. When I took art classes while a university student, such censorship or litmus testing was *never* an issue -- that's what I took the art classes in the first place: to have all the freedom in the world to experiment and say what I wanted!
fyi, a pro-terror, anti-Zionist "art" exhibit recently shown in Berkeley (not affiliated with the University of California, however):
http://www.zombietime.com/justice_matters/
In 2003 Penn State Muslim Student Association sponsored Neo Nazi William Baker to speak ON CAMPUS... and Penn State paid for the event.
I wonder how did having a Neo Nazi speak promote -
Perhaps the school can answer that one.... but what will end out happening is after being embarrassed they'll begrudgingly allow this guy's art in but the next time the Muslim groups there want anything they'll get it again and University funds to boot....
The question is why did this kid have to have his display sponsored by Hillel and not the School?
I'd say it can't be as bad as a freekin NEO NAZI??
Again the CV of Charles R. Garoian, the professor who censored Josh Stulman’s exhibit -
The Baker event was at U of Penn not Penn State.