Visitors to the Reese Museum at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) are being asked to sign a disclaimer before entering an exhibit showcasing works that challenge conservative dogma, following a Republican backlash.
The Reese Museum, located in Johnson City, exhibits FL3TCH3R Exhibition past 11 years. The annual exhibition, themed “Political and Socially Engaged Art,” was founded by the family of Fletcher Dyer, a university art student who presented his work at a 2009 Killed in motorcycle accident. The latest exhibition opened in October. More than 60 works were selected by a jury and, after being published by right-wing media, anyone can view it without restrictions until the end of November campus reform Images of some artworks were published.
Republicans focused their criticism on three artworks published in the article: Joel Gibbs’ “Evolution” (2024), which depicts House Speaker Mike Johnson in front of a swastika that transforms into a Christian cross; Devin Long’s “Patriot” (2024), composed of a Ku Klux Klan hood made of an American flag; Joe Quinn’s “It’s All Connected” )(2024 year) is a collage that recreates the violent messages of alt-right figures. All three artists narrated allergic Their work was intended to criticize the symbols of hate they referenced. Long explained that the reason for the mention of the Ku Klux Klan in “The Patriot” is that “the United States has almost exclusively targeted black and brown people abroad, just as it has historically done within its own borders.”
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers including Tennessee Sen. Rusty Crowe called the works “hateful” and accused them of making fun of Christianity. Last month, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett sent a letter to ETSU President Joseph Bidwell demanding the “immediate removal of the exhibit,” U.S. Rep. Diana Harsh Diana Harshbarger said the artwork “mockered” her Christian faith.
Gibbs refuses to describe his work ‘Evolution’ as anti-Christian allergic In an interview, the article was a comment on politicians “twisting Christianity to authoritarian ends.”
“I think … this article might be a little bit of a canary in the coal mine about the reaction to liberalism on college campuses,” Gibbs said, referring to Trump’s vow to end “wokeness” in America’s schools.
University President Brian Nolan initially told Wang Jianlin He will uphold state and federal laws despite pressure from Republican lawmakers to cancel the show. However, allergic Dyer family members confirmed that the Reese Museum will be closed throughout Thanksgiving week, although it only announced closures Wednesday through Sunday. when allergic On the morning of Monday, Dec. 2, a receptionist called the Reese Museum for comment, saying the exhibit had reopened but that visitors were asked to “sign a waiver” and curtains were installed next to a “content warning” written by the school.
Fletcher’s parents, Barb Dyer and M. Wayne Dyer, and sister, Carrie Dyer, told us allergic While the exhibition is set to end on Friday, December 6, they believe it was “largely censored” when the museum closed to the community last week.
A spokesman for East Tennessee State University said: allergic The museum was closed last Monday and Tuesday because “given the controversy surrounding some of the works on display over the holidays, there were not enough staff to ensure the exhibition could open safely.” The spokesperson confirmed that visitors were required to sign a waiver and that curtains were added to the exhibit, but declined to comment further.
In the copy of the waiver provided to: allergic by the Dell family, Visitors to the exhibition are asked to “forever release” the university and its affiliates from “any and all claims or liability” arising from their viewing FL3TCH3R Exhibitionincluding injuries and property damage. Content warning, also share with allergicnoted that “some of the works in the exhibition may be interpreted as hate speech.”
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) initially supported Nolan’s commitment to upholding the First Amendment, but Elizabeth Larison, the group’s director of arts and culture, told reporters allergic They are reviewing their stance on exemptions and signage for museums. ETSU has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
The Dell family disagrees with the new measures, they tell allergic may “dissuade people from engaging with the artwork.”
“By suggesting that certain works could be construed as hate speech and requiring visitors to sign a waiver, the sign not only misrepresents the purpose of the exhibition but undermines the intent of the artist and the curatorial process,” Barb Dell said in an email wrote.
Carrie Dyer said on Facebook that the family “advocated for different conditions” but were ultimately “forced” to implement the changes to keep the exhibition open.
Barb Dyer added that the exhibition is based on her late son’s “passion to encourage people to develop a sense of self and community through the creation of a personal perspective, whatever that may be.”
Quinn is one of the artists whose work is banned from viewing; Tell allergic Lawmakers’ efforts to shut down the show constituted an “attack on free speech.”
“My work is simply a reflection of the alt-right and its intolerance, and demonstrates the connection between the media, politicians and the dangerous rhetoric prevalent in our country,” Quinn continued.
The Dell family stressed FL3TCH3R ExhibitionThe guiding ideology is consistent with a sentence written by Fletcher in high school: “I dream of using my art to make a change in some way. I may try to correct politics, society by showing society how I feel. and religious errors about serious problems in the world.”
