Artist Thomas"Breeze" Marcus attends an exhibition opening of his work at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M. on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, including the painting titled"Answered Prayer," backgound. A separate group exhibition that included his work was postponed in Arizona amid outrage over a painting by Shepard Fairey that is critical of police. It's the latest of several recent incidents around the U.S.
In recent months, however, the cycle of outcry, removal and reflection seems to be repeating itself more frequently. Proponents of artistic freedom say the current political climate has made more topics than ever controversial and emboldened more people to voice their complaints. Cities caught in the crossfire between artists and the public are forced to reexamine how they choose art.
According to the city of San Mateo, neither city staff nor the committee that oversees art displays had a chance to see a lot of the paintings beforehand, including several works “with a variety of strong political connotations.” Members of the public and city employees across departments expressed concerns after the exhibition was erected.
“What we see in arts and cultural advocacy programs is a lot of discomfort around artworks that either criticize past or current government agencies or policies," Larison said."That even extends to works that address historical travesties that may have been commonplace.”