Artist Suit Challenged County Censorship Bid
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2 Paintings Are Back Up As Morris Backs Down
Artist suit challenged county censorship bid
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
BY BILL SWAYZE AND LAWRENCE RAGONESE
Star-Ledger Staff
BY BILL SWAYZE AND LAWRENCE RAGONESE
Star-Ledger Staff
Two of dozens of paintings hanging in the Morris County Administration Building in Morristown were considered offensive and removed by county government officials, triggering a federal lawsuit that was resolved yesterday with an agreement to put the works back on the wall.
Artist Gladys Barker Grauer sued the county and Prosecutor Michael M. Rubbinaccio after learning on the opening night of an African-American art show in January that works urging the release from prison of convicted cop killers Mumia Abu Jamal and Leonard Peltier were taken down.
The 83-year-old Newark artist, in legal papers, charged that Rubbinaccio directed county employees to take the portraits down. Last night, however, she said the county informed her it was not Rubbinaccio who made that request.
"What happened was a victory for artists' freedom of expression," Grauer said yesterday after the settlement was reached. "I was infuriated when they took them down. No one should be able to see a piece of art as offensive and have them removed."
Her two paintings are acrylics on plastic bag strips that are woven together. They were painted last year and included as part of the 15th annual African-American art show held in the county building, this year entitled, "Legacy, Homage to An American Master, Charles W. White." White was an African-American artist whose work has been exhibited in most major U.S. art museums.
The two pieces were hung on the third floor, near the entrance to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. The message of the work was brought to the attention of county officials by an unnamed police official on Jan. 26, causing them to be taken down, said Diana Vance, the county's director of policy and administration.
"Both pieces of art called for the freeing of convicted murderers, people who have killed police officers," said Vance. "We felt that was inappropriate content. Plus, it was placed near the prosecutor's office. That did not seem right, and not sensitive."
Jamal, a former Black Panther, is on death row for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer. Peltier, a Native American, is serving two consecutive life terms for the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Like many others, Grauer believes they were wrongly imprisoned.
Before removing the artwork, Vance said she phoned Charles Craig, a representative of Art in the Atrium, a nonprofit group that runs the art show, to inform him.
"He said, 'okay,' and we took them down," said Vance.
But the artist challenged their removal in a federal lawsuit filed by Newark attorney Kathleen Goger.
Yesterday, the county and Grauer settled their differences. The county agreed to rehang Grauer's art, but in a different spot. Vance planned to personally put them up last night though she had not yet chosen a specific location.
"We thought it would be best to avoid potentially costly litigation," said Vance, who hashed out the deal with Grauer outside of federal court in Newark, with the aid of county attorneys Ronald Kevitz and Daniel O'Mullan. "We didn't want to be in a position of spending a large sum of money on a court case here," she said.
Grauer is an accomplished artist who attended the Art Institute of Chicago and later operated what at the time was Newark's only art gallery, the Aard Studio Gallery. Her work has been exhibited in many museums and galleries, including the National Museum in Senegal, the Newark Museum and the Harlem Museum at Morgan State University.
This is not the first time an art show in the halls of Morris County government has caused controversy. In 1997, there was a two-week censorship battle over the works of Maplewood artist Russell Murray.
"Angry White Mail" included a white toilet stuffed with a white mailbox overflowing with letters marked with the word "anger." Murray termed it a visual pun on the phrase "angry white male." His "WUSA," a poke at talk radio, generated some concern because it used two tattered remnants of stars and stripes windsocks that drew some complaints from people concerned it might be a slight toward the American flag. Murray said it was not.
The county freeholders, at that time, agreed to a hands-off policy on art shows held in the administration building.
"Art can be very controversial, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder," said Freeholder Joan Bramhall, who is now the county clerk.
"That art is a great asset here. It should never be interfered with by the freeholder board," added Freeholder Sue Murphy Ostergaard.
The current exhibit, including Grauer's work, will be on display through March 30.
Artist Gladys Barker Grauer sued the county and Prosecutor Michael M. Rubbinaccio after learning on the opening night of an African-American art show in January that works urging the release from prison of convicted cop killers Mumia Abu Jamal and Leonard Peltier were taken down.
The 83-year-old Newark artist, in legal papers, charged that Rubbinaccio directed county employees to take the portraits down. Last night, however, she said the county informed her it was not Rubbinaccio who made that request.
"What happened was a victory for artists' freedom of expression," Grauer said yesterday after the settlement was reached. "I was infuriated when they took them down. No one should be able to see a piece of art as offensive and have them removed."
Her two paintings are acrylics on plastic bag strips that are woven together. They were painted last year and included as part of the 15th annual African-American art show held in the county building, this year entitled, "Legacy, Homage to An American Master, Charles W. White." White was an African-American artist whose work has been exhibited in most major U.S. art museums.
The two pieces were hung on the third floor, near the entrance to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. The message of the work was brought to the attention of county officials by an unnamed police official on Jan. 26, causing them to be taken down, said Diana Vance, the county's director of policy and administration.
"Both pieces of art called for the freeing of convicted murderers, people who have killed police officers," said Vance. "We felt that was inappropriate content. Plus, it was placed near the prosecutor's office. That did not seem right, and not sensitive."
Jamal, a former Black Panther, is on death row for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer. Peltier, a Native American, is serving two consecutive life terms for the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Like many others, Grauer believes they were wrongly imprisoned.
Before removing the artwork, Vance said she phoned Charles Craig, a representative of Art in the Atrium, a nonprofit group that runs the art show, to inform him.
"He said, 'okay,' and we took them down," said Vance.
But the artist challenged their removal in a federal lawsuit filed by Newark attorney Kathleen Goger.
Yesterday, the county and Grauer settled their differences. The county agreed to rehang Grauer's art, but in a different spot. Vance planned to personally put them up last night though she had not yet chosen a specific location.
"We thought it would be best to avoid potentially costly litigation," said Vance, who hashed out the deal with Grauer outside of federal court in Newark, with the aid of county attorneys Ronald Kevitz and Daniel O'Mullan. "We didn't want to be in a position of spending a large sum of money on a court case here," she said.
Grauer is an accomplished artist who attended the Art Institute of Chicago and later operated what at the time was Newark's only art gallery, the Aard Studio Gallery. Her work has been exhibited in many museums and galleries, including the National Museum in Senegal, the Newark Museum and the Harlem Museum at Morgan State University.
This is not the first time an art show in the halls of Morris County government has caused controversy. In 1997, there was a two-week censorship battle over the works of Maplewood artist Russell Murray.
"Angry White Mail" included a white toilet stuffed with a white mailbox overflowing with letters marked with the word "anger." Murray termed it a visual pun on the phrase "angry white male." His "WUSA," a poke at talk radio, generated some concern because it used two tattered remnants of stars and stripes windsocks that drew some complaints from people concerned it might be a slight toward the American flag. Murray said it was not.
The county freeholders, at that time, agreed to a hands-off policy on art shows held in the administration building.
"Art can be very controversial, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder," said Freeholder Joan Bramhall, who is now the county clerk.
"That art is a great asset here. It should never be interfered with by the freeholder board," added Freeholder Sue Murphy Ostergaard.
The current exhibit, including Grauer's work, will be on display through March 30.
Lawrence Ragonese and Bill Swayze may be reached at (973) 539-7910.
In Solidarity,
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
posted by Leonard @ 2:15 PM
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