Public Art and Protest

Late last month, a friend of mine, Zoe Cohen, invited me to the opening for her Brooklyn College MFA Thesis Exhibition last week. I wasn't able to attend, and it's unfortunate, as the show has attracted no little public attention, protest -- and activisn. Here's what happened:

• April 23: Opening reception email transmitted
  
• May 3: Opening reception is held
  
• May 4: The exhibit is shut down: "This show was presented in the Brooklyn War Memorial, a public building administrated by the New York Parks Department. The Brooklyn Parks commissioner received a complaint about the sexual nature of a few of the art works in this show, and made an abrupt and un-announced decision to have the locks changed on the doors to the gallery, and to close down the show the day after the opening."
  
• May 6: Participating artists organize to call for the show to reopen, and a protest is held at the memorial
  
• May 7: The artists issue a public statement and announce that they plan to meet with Brooklyn College Provost Roberta S. Matthews the morning of May 8 (this morning), and that they have reached out to President Christoph M. Kimmich and NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian R. Benepe, as well as Mayor Bloomberg
  

More as this develops. Be sure to check out the ongoing action blog.