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Gladys Barker Grauer Defends Artistic Freedom
"Free
Mumia Abu Jamal" and "Free Leonard Peltier" Removed from Exhibit Newark, NJ - On Friday, January 26,
2007, Newark artist Gladys Barker Grauer received the
surprise of her life when, moments before the opening of
the 15th annual Art in the Atrium exhibit at the Morris
County Administration and Records Building in
Morristown, New Jersey, two of her works were pulled
from the exhibition. The show is a tribute to African
American master, Charles W. White (1918-1979) and
features many of his works among that of 20 other
African American artists. News of this event has
garnered attention from as far as Texas.
Morris County officials removed two
of Grauer's works, "Free Mumia Abu Jamal" and "Free
Leonard Peltier". Both pieces are woven with plastic
bags cut into strips on a four-harness floor loom. The
images are painted on the surface with acrylic paint.
County officials claimed that the pieces were removed
because they were considered "offensive." Jamal was
convicted of killing a police officer in Philadelphia in
1981 and Native American Peltier was convicted of
killing two FBI agents in South Dakota.
According to the show's curator and
Art in the Atrium co-founder, Viki Craig, a particular
objection came from the Morris County Prosecutor Michael
M. Rubbinaccio who was angered by the placement of the
controversial works across from his office. Rubbinaccio
has denied having any involvement in the removal of the
works, but County representatives concede that the works
were removed by employees at the direction of at least
one County official.
Lawsuit Filed
On February 6, 2007, Grauer filed a
Federal lawsuit in Newark stating that her First
Amendment rights were violated by the removal of the
works from the exhibition. "Art is a form of
expression. When government takes any kind of action to
limit the exhibition of works that express ideas, that's
censorship," says Ms. Grauer, a nationally renowned
artist. Before the case was heard, Morris County
officials agreed to re-hang Ms. Grauer's artworks in the
public exhibit.
"The County violated the First
Amendment by removing my works. Though forced by a
lawsuit to re-hang them, they still refuse to respect
the First Amendment," says the frustrated artist.
"Their solution is to violate the Constitution even
further by abolishing the tradition of public exhibits
in the County Administration Building. It seems that if
they have to respect the First Amendment, they will
punish all artists and art patrons in the process."
Artwork Reinstalled
The works were reinstalled but the
County has yet to apologize to Ms. Grauer or to the
public for interfering with the exhibit.
Ms. Grauer sees ongoing challenges to
the First Amendment and artists' freedom of speech.
According to the artist, some County officials have
threatened further infringements on artists' free
expression of ideas ranging from discontinuation of the
annual Black History Month show, to hiring a full-time
censor, to closing the public gallery all together.
Additional Information
On February 18, Ms. Grauer spoke at
the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center in Maplewood, New Jersey
on "Artists and the First Amendment vs. Morris County
Freeholders." Her talk was followed by a book signing
with Barbara Kukla, author of Defying The Odds. Ms.
Kukla is a former writer for The Star-Ledger. Gladys
Barker Grauer is one of the women featured in Ms.
Kukla's book.
Several of her works are currently on
view in the exhibition "Celebrating African American
Women Artists" at the Brennan Gallery of the William
Brennan Court House in Jersey City, New Jersey. That
exhibit runs through February 28, 2007.
For additional information, please
email Ms. Grauer at
gladysbgrauer@yahoo.com
Source: Celeste Bateman &
Associates
http://www.celestebateman.com / (973) 705-8253 / For
an interview with Gladys Barker Grauer, please contact
Celeste Bateman & Associates. |
