Arts in Indy -

 I believe public art makes the city. Muncie has its own small efforts that liven up the city. Art reminds us we are more than cogs in a machine. Skeptical of art's worth, check out: Public Art Census — Rokh. It has a report on the value of art.

But Newfields removes art with Trump imagery from Juneteenth exhibit.

Radford said the exhibit’s founder and curator, Angelita Hampton, called him shortly before the opening reception on June 5 and said Newfields’ leadership had decided the artwork was “too political.” He was invited to send a new piece, but he declined.

In “Welcome to America V,” the American flag serves as a backdrop for images of Black Moors, January 6 insurrectionists, enslaved people and civil rights activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

In the middle is a black shovel made to look like blackface with a photo of Trump on the handle. 

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 Walking through the IMA galleries, you’ll see several artworks that inspire dialogue, such as “Big White System,” a painting by Kyng Rhodes that draws connections between the police and the KKK, and the vase “The Expulsion of Colin Kaepernick and John Brown” by Robert Lugo.

But when it comes to depictions of Trump, artists and organizations fear censorship and backlash in the form of cuts to public and private funding support, canceled shows and angered audiences. 

On step forward, two steps back?

sch 6/18