2004-01-20
Arts Policy Lessons from the Brooklyn Museum of Art Controversy
On Sept. 22, 1999, New Yorks Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, strode into a press conference to publicly attack the Brooklyn Museums not-yet-opened show of Charles Saatchis collection of British artists. The Mayors threats ignited a firestorm of controversy that finally burned itself out six months later, when a settlement was reached in federal court that ended legal hostilities with the museums free speech rights affirmed and its funding saved, at least for the immediate future.
For many arts supporters and arts advocates, the entire episode seemed like a recurring nightmare. Once more, as with Mapplethorpe, Serrano, Finley, Wojnarowicz, cutting-edge art in this case, Chris Ofilis "The Virgin Mary" -- had provoked anger from the usual suspects: religious conservatives and their rightwing political representatives. And once again, the anger expressed itself in threats to cut public funding, First Amendment be damned.
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