Every self-respecting artist or other creative individual should condemn the Vail, Colorado, community for its cowardly treatment this week of artist Danielle SeeWalker.
Just a few days after announcing her appointment as Vail’s second-ever artist in residence, the Colorado Sun reported, the town backed out because of a painting when some people complained.
The article quotes Vail town manager Russell Forrest as saying: “We started getting messages from individuals looking closely at her social media posts. The concern was around the very polarizing issue in Israel and Gaza right now. We didn’t want public funds connected to a project about a polarizing geopolitical issue that is still playing out.”
SeeWalker said her painting highlighted the parallels between the plight of Native Americans in the U.S. and the crisis in Gaza.
Rather than have honest conversations about the art and helping people learn something from it, the town’s Art in Public Places published a statement about its mission “to create a diverse and meaningful public art experience in Vail.”
That clearly does not apply to art that makes Vail folks uncomfortable.
People and communities that can’t handle the truth do not deserve to have an artist in residence. Boycott them.
B.J.