Kit Clemente
Opinions Editor
When the Summer Art Show was opened on Thursday, Sept. 6, the pieces “Untitled Redhead,” “Woman with the Blue Ring,” “Nude Figure Study,” and “Untitled,” appeared in the show. Yet, a few days later, these pieces were absent.
Before these pieces were removed, students approached members of the administration and admitted to feeling uncomfortable because some of the art depicted nude or partially nude figures.
The feelings of these students led Principal Bryan Luizzi and Visual and Performing Arts Director Alan Sneath to evaluate the pieces. After determining certain works were inappropriate for the show, they were taken down, and the artists were individually alerted in meetings with Dr. Luizzi.
Upon hearing about these happenings, I was initially disappointed with the school’s choice, especially seeing as NCHS allows students access to controversial items such as websites and books typically banned in other schools. Why can’t art go along with similar protocol.
And after speaking to artist and recipient of the summer art program scholarship, senior Katie Melland, I largely sympathized with her situation. “As part of the scholarship, recipients are obligated to present their work as part of the summer art show, and since figure painting was part of my summer, I was kind of obligated to add it,” Katie said.
Katie’s explanations led me to think about all the time and effort she put into her art, and how it only seemed fair to me, in light of all her trials, to allow her masterpiece to appear in the Summer Art Show. I additionally reflected on the fact that the school provided her with the scholarship opportunity at Rhode Island School of Design in order for her to learn the foundations for freshman art classes in universities, and how figure depiction is a large part of that. And so , why wouldn’t the school naturally want to see her work, especially if they provided the opportunity for it?
But of course, after feeling gung-ho about freedom of creativity, I became partial towards Dr. Luizzi after speaking with him. “For art, a student could create something that is expertly done, but at the same time, not appropriate for the school, but it could fit perfectly in an art gallery,” he said. “When we consider the art we display, we take into account the full school audience.”
As Dr. Luizzi expertly pointed out, NCHS does have a large audience, anywhere from roughly 13 years old to 19, and ensuring all members feel comfortable learning in the school environment is crucial. Plus, it’s not as if students can choose not to come to public school, whereas they can choose what art they can experience in the context of a gallery or online.
I’d be naive to say the removal of the art did not cross my mind. And it certainly crossed one of the artists’ minds as well, “It’s hard to say whether or not I expected it, but still it was my work and I wanted to show it,” Katie said.
After hearing both sides, I pondered these contrasting and logical ideas, and my overbearing thought was one of dismay, both on behalf of the artists’ hard work not shown, and the position the school was put in, in having to tell these artists that their wonderful work could not be displayed.
Amidst all this, the one thought I kept coming back to was the one regarding content warning of the Summer Art Show. And that’s the thing, there was no warning.
Perhaps if the artists were previously warned, this whole drama would not have unfolded. Yes, I’m sure the artists would be disappointed, but they would then not have to suffer as their excitement at having their pieces displayed was reversed as they realized their pieces were to be removed.
I’m not saying there should be a one fits all rule regarding school deemed appropriateness of art, as art is surely not one fits all, but the situation would certainly be ameliorated if a member of the administration, or art program were to previously discuss works with the artists and determine if the pieces should be displayed in the NCHS gallery prior to the show. That way shows will be all congratulations and awe-inspiring, and not leave behind a sentiment of regret or dissatisfaction.
