Difficult Subjects ~ Today in WojnaBloggery and Prehensile Toes

The Akron Art Museum will be showing the censored David Wojnarowicz video "A Fire In My Belly" with Museum Director Mitchell Kahan warning

Potential audiences should know that A Fire in My Belly is not easy viewing. It involves sex, violence, politics and religion, all of which are difficult subjects to view.

via The 330
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two protestors ejected from the National Portrait Gallery for their independent showing of A Fire In My Belly on iPads will return across the street with a Davidian trailer flickering images to smote the Smithsonian Goliathan.

Support for their efforts can be displayed at http://dontcensor.us/

via washingtoncitypaper.com
via popnography quickies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a few takes on the legend:


flickr result found imagoogling "david and goliath" smithsonian

Study for David and Goliath, 1971, acrylic on canvas, 127 x 137cm,

Collection Colorado Springs Fine Art Center

via this hot take on Paul Cadmus from contemporarybalears.com

Curatorial Explanations

David Ward, the curator of Hide/Seek, responds to the Warhol Foundations threat to pull money in this Washington Blade article by David J. Hoffman.

"Ward also criticized the action announced last week by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which warned Clough that unless the Wojnarowicz video is returned to the exhibit it will withhold all future funds to any Smithsonian museum. The Warhol Foundation funded $100,000 of the costs to mount the exhibit.... Ward declared that, though “I find their reaction understandable,” it’s more important for such institutions to remain active in support for the arts at the Smithsonian galleries, which in the past has received a total of $375,000 in Warhol funding of various shows including “Hide/Seek.”

This might be restated: "While the ideals of freedom are important to you, your money is important to us."

Words In Action

Hyperallergic.com has several photos of Sunday, December 19, 2010, action in NYC.  The protesters marched  to the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, operated by the Smithsonian.

Silence = Death
Smithsonian Stop the Censorship ART+