Brooklyn College MFA Students Demand Show Be Re-opened

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Marni Kotak
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Brooklyn College MFA Students Demand Show Be Re-opened

Citing First Amendment Rights, Students Unify in Opposition to Provost Matthews’ Decision to Move Works to College Campus

NEW YORK (May 7, 2006) Citing First Amendment rights which provide for freedom of expression in a public space, the Brooklyn College MFA Students whose works have been locked up and censored by the NYC Parks Department since last Thursday, have just announced their unified decision to oppose Brooklyn College Provost Roberta S. Matthews’ decision that their works be moved to the Brooklyn College Campus.

The students release this official message:

The closing of the Brooklyn College MFA Thesis exhibition at the Brooklyn War Memorial constitutes an act of censorship on the part of the NYC Parks Department.

We were never made aware of any agreement between the NYC Parks Department and the Brooklyn College Administration regarding any restrictions on the nature of the content shown in student exhibitions in the space. Furthermore, any such contract would be unconstitutional.

The closing of the show violates our first amendment rights for freedom of expression in a public space, for which there are several precedents. Government should not be in a position to make decisions about what constitutes appropriate content in art.

The position of the artists is that the show must be re-opened in its current space by the NYC Parks Department with a disclaimer to the public posted at the entrance of the exhibition if necessary.

At this point there has been no offer of an acceptable alternative space for the show.

We are requesting that supporters petition the Brooklyn College Administration, the NYC Parks Department and all local and state public officials to reopen the Brooklyn College MFA Thesis Exhibition in the Brooklyn War Memorial in its entirety, in the name of the first amendment and free speech.

Alternatively, If the show will not be re-opened by the Parks Department, the artists request an alternative venue that is equal or better in location and square footage to the Brooklyn War Memorial, and the financial support of Brooklyn College in handling such a move to a new space. This is due to the nature of the site-specific installations that were created for this particular space.

Students will be meeting tomorrow morning with Brooklyn College Provost Roberta S. Matthews, and will be attempting to schedule meetings with President Christoph M. Kimmich and NYC Parks Commissioner, Adrian R. Benepe, in attempts to resolve the matter. The students are also awaiting a message from the Mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, in hopes they he will override the unilateral decision of Julius Spiegel, or at least help to resolve the situation. However, if necessary, the students are prepared to take legal action to ensure that their art work is exhibited.

The student show, mounted as a graduation requirement for the Master of Fine Arts Degree at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, was suddenly shut down at about 3:30PM on Thursday, May 4, 2006, by Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner, Julius Spiegel. This Saturday the students held a rally, with faculty and community members, in front of the Brooklyn War Memorial, chanting “Unlock the Art,” “Free Plan B” (the name of their thesis exhibition”, and “Free Speech Now.”

The artists in the exhibition include: Carla Aspenberg, Jill Auckenthaler, John Avelluto, Zoe Cohen, David Davron, Susan C. Dessel, Carl James Ferrero, Carrie Fucile, Pamela Gordon, Yejin Jun, Diane Kosup, Marni Kotak, Augusto Marin, Akiko Mori, Christopher Moss, Sarah Phillips, Megan Piontkowski and Tamas Veszi.

The exhibition was scheduled to be open through May 25th at the Brooklyn College Art Gallery at the Brooklyn War Memorial Building, Cadman Plaza, in downtown Brooklyn. For further information or to voice your support for the reopening of Plan B, visit http://plancensored.blogspot.com.