Letter from a concerned community member

Dear Mr. Kimmich and Ms. Matthews:

This week, I witnessed your administration's actions regarding the MFA Thesis Exhibit at the Brooklyn War Memorial. As part of that administration, I find your actions truly deplorable!

For your information, your Art department was founded by people escaping fascist Germany for freedom here in Brooklyn. I am dumbfounded that artwork from the students of this same department has been censored by a government and removed by an academic administration that are entrusted, each in their own way, with protecting that important legacy. Then, continue the episode with the fact that the art was being exhibited in a hall commemorating our country's freedoms, as fought for by WWII soldiers (I am the son of a veteran!), and the whole event you perpetrated is vile. Those soldiers died for ideals obviously too grand for you or Bloomberg and Benepe and their cronies to understand or respect.

My family appreciates art, we appreciate all art. My family pays taxes and expects the right to enjoy our parks too. I cannot tolerate a fascist view of "family values" nor can I stand by idly and watch petty bureaucrats cave in without even a fight that could easily be won on the grounds outlined above, and with total abandon for the students' rights as guaranteed by the US Constitution as well as their rights to academic freedom. You did what would be equal to ripping up a student's paper because you did not agree with the content of it. I assume you would never do such a thing if you were in a faculty role. Is that a correct assumption? I am not sure.

On the most basic level, you have shown such profound disrespect for the students' property and "homework". Some of the artwork took years to create and, no matter what you think of the artwork, you do not simply throw the pieces in a truck and shake them off to campus across the pot-holed streets of Brooklyn while you divert the students' attention with a false meeting. It is all very childish and not becoming of officials paid to serve the educational mission of our fine city. You have obviously never been party to a creative endeavor as you do not have respect for the student's art. Do you know any artists? Have you bothered to understand the effort that goes into making art? At the very least, you should be very ashamed of yourselves and your total disregard for other humans.

I can only hope that the vote by your academic council today will be followed by removal of both of you and all others responsible for this abomination!

Sincerely,

Concerned Community Member