David Wojnarowicz (born 1954, died 1992) Untitled (Buffalo), 1988-89. Vintage gelatin silver print, signed on verso, 28⅝x35¾; inches. Collection of Michael Sodomick, Courtesy of the Estate of David Wojnarowicz and P.P.O.W Gallery, New York In statements reminiscent of the culture wars of the 1990s, three Republican lawmakers in Cobb County, Georgia have attacked a museum exhibition that [...]
NCAC has sent a letter to Elgin Mayor David Kaptain supporting the mural's return in advance of the City Council's vote on its fate on July 13th.
Mark Ryden: Fountain, 2003. Oil on Panel, 12x6.25 inches. ©Mark Ryden. In a replay of former New York Mayor Guiliani's attempt to grab attention by attacking "blasphemous" art, Ben Loyola, a member of the Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission, is directing his ire against the work of LA-based painter Mark Ryden, featured in Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of [...]
When students at Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island produced a photographic artwork critiquing rape culture and the sexualization of young women's bodies, the administration responded by removing the artwork, implicitly sexualizing the body of a young woman. Last week, a photo-collage was removed from a student exhibition in the lobby of the high school due to its [...]
@illmagore : "Make America Great Again" On Saturday, in the latest fallout over artist Illma Gore's controversial nude portrait of Donald Trump, Gore was physically assaulted by a Trump supporter not far from her home in LA. After punching the diminutive artist in the face, her attacker shouted "Trump 2016" and jumped into a waiting vehicle. Gore posted the story [...]
The City of West Hollywood planned exhibitions in celebration of Women's History Month - and then yanked art by a female artist representing women.
A few days ago we wrote about artist Nicole Touchet 's recent brush with censorship in Free the Nipple: Nude Paintings Raise Temperatures in Lafayette. The artists of Lafayette have since rallied around the cause of freedom of expression with a city-wide Nude ArtWalk. For this occasion we offer our statement on nudes and censorship: The Human Body is Not [...]
And Indiana artist gets a message from her landlord: "You have to take down the nude pictures you have in your gallery. Part of the agreement to rent you the space was to not display nude pictures.”
Does art that offends belong in a government building? That's the debate unfolding in Denver, after a student's painting that likens police to the Ku Klux Klan was displayed in the city's Webb Building.
What happens when a cop complains that student artwork is “propaganda?”
After two visitors complained about a painting, a small gallery space in Vero Beach told an artist to remove the piece.
The decision by San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to deny a permit to display Bay Area artist Victor De La Rosa's posters about community concerns over gentrification raises serious First Amendment concerns.
After students voiced their objections, the University of Kentucky has covered a historical mural. The school should seize the opportunity to have serious dialogue.
The removal of artworks by incarcerated Native American activist Leonard Peltier from a Washington state government building raises serious First Amendment concerns.
Former FBI officials successfully remove paintings by Leonard Peltier from a government building in Washington state.
Legendary artists Betty Tompkins and Marilyn Minter got together to talk about censorship, women in the arts and much more.
A California government official removed an artwork from a public building because he determined that it was "obscene." The First Amendment exists to prevent this kind of thing, and the piece is back up.
Artists continue to struggle with Facebook's inconsistent policies on human nudity.
Students at summer art school programs run into some unique censorship problems.
An artwork draws protest from local clergy in Georgia. But the museum where it is displayed is standing firm.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts should have answered the Kimono Wednesdays controversy by seizing on the protests as a chance to ask deeper questions and engage the community.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts responds to NCAC's letter regarding protests over "Kimono Wednesdays."
An exhibit that included a kimono that could be worn by museum visitors drew strong protests, and caused the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to alter its program.
City officials want an art gallery to cover a nude painting-- but they can't find a legal justification.
Student artists are tackling police brutality-- and police groups aren't happy about it. Unfortunately, some schools are reacting by removing the work.
Citing a possible violent reaction as a pretext for censoring art is not only wrong, it most certainly leads those who object to free expression to make more threats.
After receiving complaints, a Maryland high school removes police brutality artwork. But the students at Oxon Hill aren't submitting to censorship-- they are fighting back.
The right-wing provocateur has the right to say what she wants. Does she think Arabs and Muslims have the same rights?
A California library briefly removes a nude painting it deemed "inappropriate."
Provocative art about police brutality in a Madison, Wisconsin library is causing controversy.
Two more examples of the social media giant's rather peculiar standards about female nudity.
The decision to quickly remove a student art project involving a teepee from a California college campus sent the wrong message about artistic freedom and claims of offense.
An exhibit of dolls at the Long Beach library was deemed too controversial because it included a depiction of police brutality. The library decided to go on with the show; NCAC offers some guidelines for curators who are faced with similar controversies.
Artists in France are adapting NCAC's work.
Is this really about copyright? Trumbull removes a painting of Mother Teresa from the public library amidst questionable claims of copyright infringement.
The Charlie Hebdo massacres prompted worldwide calls to embrace and celebrate artistic freedom. But actions speak louder than words. As demonstrations in support of free speech were held in Paris and we all reconfirmed our commitment to an open exchange of ideas, two cultural spaces in the United States-– one a library, the other a university-– censored artwork.
Many US media outlets are reporting on the Charlie Hebdo massacre--but pointedly avoiding showing the images at the center of the story.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) are urging University of Iowa president Sally Mason to issue a statement recognizing the First Amendment rights of Professor Serhat Tanyolacar and make clear that his artwork is fully protected under the First Amendment. The letter was issued in response to the forced removal from [...]
Don’t hold your breath for nipple reveals or cock shows – while artistic representations of nudes remain a regular target of censorship, the most compelling and controversial artwork in 2014 came from artists challenging social norms and exposing cultural fissures. There was the occasional use of female anatomy or children as subjects, but what each painting, photo, or mural on [...]
"Complacency is ever the enabler of darkest deeds." Robert Fanney recognized, as we do at NCAC, that silence and apathy lead to repression and censorship. In our 40th anniversary year, we celebrate the artists, authors, students, educators, librarians, lawmakers, celebs du jour, and yes, even corporations, who refused to remain silent on the top threats to free speech in 2014. [...]
