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NCAC Joins 32 Organizations in Amicus Brief to Strike Down the Trump Administration’s Travel Ban

By |2019-06-12T17:57:43-04:00April 10th, 2018|Blog, Press Releases|

(Photo: Masha George/Flickr/cc) NCAC joins PEN America and 31 other prominent arts organizations to jointly file a friend of the court brief in the case of State of Hawaii v. Trump, urging the Supreme Court to strike down the third version of the Trump travel ban issued on September 27, 2017. Executive Order (EO) 13780 bans all immigration from six majority Muslim [...]

Meet Maggie Budzyna: A Young Filmmaker Determined to Resist Injustice

By |2018-06-28T11:49:55-04:00April 9th, 2018|Blog|

Maggie Budzyna's debut film, CENSORED, tackles the slippery slope of banning words from public dialogue. We spoke with the 17-year-old filmmaker about censorship, youth activism and the importance of using her artistic freedom to resist injustice. Watch her film and read the interview.

Robert S. Rubin, Who Defended The Brooklyn Museum Against Rudy Giuliani, Passes Away at 86

By |2020-01-03T15:50:39-05:00March 26th, 2018|Blog|

Remembering Robert S. Rubin and his defense of The Brooklyn Museum in a highly publicized controversy in which he went head-to-head with then-mayor Rudy Giuliani who threatened the museum's funding if a piece was not removed from a 1999 exhibition.

Government Transparency Is Not a Partisan Issue: Eclipse of Sunshine Week

By |2020-01-03T15:50:37-05:00March 16th, 2018|Blog|

Since 2005 the National Association of News Editors has branded the third week of March “Sunshine Week.” But in 2018, Sunshine Week is looking less bright. Sunshine Week has been obscured by an eclipse. Zach Garrett cautions against allowing partisan politics to obscure the real issues.

Eclipse of Sunshine Week: NCAC Joins Coalition Condemning Government Threats to Openness, Ethics and Accountability

By |2019-06-12T17:57:59-04:00March 13th, 2018|Blog|

NCAC has joined a large group of organizations in opposing the continued, and growing, threats to openness, ethics and accountability created by a culture of secrecy in the US government. NCAC and its cosignatories have designated this week, which should celebrate public access to information, the Eclipse of Sunshine Week.

Savannah Spirit: I Am a Camera

By |2020-01-03T15:50:36-05:00March 8th, 2018|Blog|

For the latest edition of our Arts Advocacy Podcast, we talked to the bi-coastal artist and photographer Savannah Spirit. Her sun-drenched nude self portraits are repeatedly flagged and removed as ‘obscene’ or ‘inappropriate’ by Instagram and Facebook. This interview discusses her frustration with social media and its necessity to artists working today.

Artspace Censors Nudes in Exhibition About Body Positivity

By |2020-01-03T15:49:05-05:00February 22nd, 2018|Blog|

Artspace, the self-described "non-profit real estate developer for the arts," creates affordable live-work spaces in a world where such spaces are rapidly disappearing. However, on more than one occasion, Artspace has censored works exhibited by residents on their premises. The most recent incident occurred in East Minneapolis.

Between Boycotts and Special Interest Campaigns: the Chilling of Speech on Israel and Palestine

By |2019-03-20T14:19:20-04:00February 5th, 2018|Blog|

Any art institution that displays art about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict - or even art that is created by Israeli or Palestinian artists - needs to carefully navigate a space between intense pressures coming from right-wing pro-Israel groups and calls for boycott from supporters of the cultural BDS movement.

Anti-BDS Laws Move to Federal Courts | UPDATE: Victory for ACLU!

By |2020-01-03T15:49:00-05:00January 31st, 2018|Blog|

Following a widespread tide of denouncements of anti-BDS legislation, objections to the state laws have now moved into the purview of federal courts. The ACLU recently filed separate First Amendment challenges against bills in Kansas and Arizona, alleging that they prohibit political expression and association and engage in speaker-based discrimination.  

The State of the First Amendment: 2017’s Top Free Speech Offenders and Defenders

By |2022-10-03T16:26:33-04:00December 20th, 2017|Blog|

During a year of marked ideological divisions, the right to free expression has been challenged by everyone from the alt-right to the far left. Our core values have been attacked by activists across the political spectrum. In this tumultuous year, we commend the allies who refuse to be silenced and continue to defend the right to free speech and its value to our society.

NCAC Joins Free Press and 30 Other Organizations in Calling for FCC to Cancel Net Neutrality Vote

By |2020-01-03T15:48:54-05:00December 8th, 2017|Blog|

On Thursday, NCAC joined with more than 30 press freedom, civil liberties and open government groups, led by Free Press, in submitting a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai. The letter urges Pai to cancel a vote scheduled for December 14, 2017 that will likely reverse net neutrality protections instated in 2015. Read the full letter below; [...]

Sneaker Retailer Bricks Over Iconic ‘Spirit of Harlem’ Mural | UPDATE: Footaction Commits to Restoring Mural

By |2020-01-03T15:48:53-05:00December 6th, 2017|Blog|

A sneaker and apparel company has bricked over an iconic Harlem mural as they re-brand the exterior of their new store. Community members are concerned about the erasure of this tribute to the Harlem Renaissance and the the artists living and working in Harlem today and are questioning its legality.

Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado Civil Rights Commission

By |2017-12-06T14:02:39-05:00December 6th, 2017|Blog|

The Masterpiece Cake case that is currently before the Supreme Court is not about speech--it is about conduct. The First Amendment protects the baker’s right to condemn gay marriage, but it does not exempt him from obeying otherwise valid and neutral business regulations that require that he treat his customers equally. 

Life Imitates Art: By Cancelling Play in Response to Controversy, Brandeis Compromises Freedom of Academic Discussion

By |2019-06-12T16:49:50-04:00November 8th, 2017|Blog|

Brandeis University has had to cancel a scheduled production of a play by Michael Weller after the playwright and the Theater Department failed to come to terms as to how the play would be presented.

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