The National Coalition Against Censorship is alarmed by the recent decision of El Museo del Barrio, a museum in upper Manhattan, to cancel the display of Recordar y Unificar, a Día de los Muertos altar it commissioned from artists Odalys Burgoa and Roy Baizan, for the sole reason that the work includes a scarf with the Palestinian flag on it.
While we understand that polarization around the Israel-Palestine conflict makes any reference to the region potentially highly controversial, we strongly encourage the museum to demonstrate respect for artistic freedom and uphold its mission as a cultural institution representing the diverse views and beliefs of the Latin American community in the United States.
Read NCAC’s full letter to the El Museo del Barrio Museum here: