Dear UWGB Campus Community:

As you may be aware, controversy has arisen on our campus over the upcoming art exhibition Axis of Evil: The Secret History of Sin. The Art Faculty invite you to attend this exhibition of 127 artists' stamps by 47 artists from 11 countries. It is on display at the Lawton Gallery, 230 Theatre Hall, from September 15-October 6. An opening reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 15 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Chicago-based artist Michael Hernandez de Luna curated the exhibition and will speak at 5:00 p.m. An interdisciplinary panel discussion will follow on Friday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m. in the Lawton Gallery. The artworks openly question what constitutes evil, who might be responsible for creating and perpetuating an “axis of evil” and challenges viewers to examine their own as well as public beliefs and actions.

While this show drew a visit from the Secret Service during its exhibition at Columbia College in Chicago, no works were removed. Evidently, in the process of mailing out show announcements, Chancellor Bruce Shepard became aware of an image on the announcement that he decided should be removed from the announcement, poster, and exhibition. Lawton Gallery curator Dr. Stephen Perkins was given a choice to remove the artist's stamp in question or not to mount the show. After consultation with Hernandez de Luna, Dr. Perkins chose to have the exhibition without that particular work; in its place he has displayed an empty frame accompanied by the book Axis of Evil: Perforated Praeter Naturam that reproduces all the works in the exhibition.

In an all-campus e-mail, Chancellor Shepard interpreted the work in question as advocating assassination, although certainly other legitimate interpretations exist. It is our hope that this is the only reason Chancellor Shepard censored the work. It is our feeling that the Chancellor missed a valuable opportunity to educate our donors as well as our student body about the role of visual art in a liberal arts education and its representation of diverse viewpoints and opinions. Art has, after all, a long, rich, and undeniable history of provoking social change and discourse.

At UWGB, we strive to “connect learning to life.” The Lawton Gallery is a key element in this endeavor: it is simultaneously a classroom (specifically for Gallery/Museum majors, and potentially all students at UWGB) and a community space (as one of the few visual arts institutions in the county). No less than any other classroom, the Lawton Gallery must house an exchange of viewpoints and rigorous critical thinking. The responsibility of a public university to develop an informed citizenry demands no less. Thus if the artwork under discussion "crossed a line," it is our belief that an open discussion of the criteria for such a judgment was in order.

The Faculty of the Art Discipline are disappointed that Chancellor Shepard felt the need to exclude a work from the exhibition, particularly without consulting us, but we appreciate his awareness of the power of art in our culture and his commitment to “high caliber scholarly and artistic inquiry.” We hope all of the complex decisions that build our university will evolve in the spirit of these values. As one of the significant events in the inauguration of Chancellor Shepard, a bronze plaque featuring the famous "sifting and winnowing" declaration was unveiled.* UWGB Emeritus Professor David Littig spoke these words at the event: “Academic freedom protects the freedom of all members of the university community to learn and seek the truth wherever it may lie and whatever the consequences. Academic freedom rests at the core of the students' learning experience—in the classroom with professors, on research projects, and in students’ midnight bull sessions. Sifting and winnowing enables students to challenge classroom theories, integrate ideas from various disciplines, to defend and develop their own informed intellectual position on issues in a safe and supportive university environment.”

Let us always talk openly and honestly.

Sincerely,
Faculty of the Art Discipline

*installed on the plaza outside the Cofrin Library near Mary Ann Cofrin Hall

Text of the plaque (from an 1894 statement by the Board of Regents): "Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe that the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found."

See: http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/inthenews/INTHENEWS2002/plaque9-02.htm