Exhibit of Gaza children's art shut down in Bay Area

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Children apparently churning out propaganda is what was uncomfortable. I honestly wonder if you gave 50 boxes of crayons and 50 pieces of drawing paper to 50 random children of Gaza if you would get any of them spontaneously drawing the sample 'art works' without giving them direction and photos to draw from.

I'm sure all of these kids were "coached," as well - I mean why else wouldn't they be drawing "normal" stuff like rainbows and unicorns:

Darfur children draw war

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7923247.stm

Chechen children draw war

http://www.waynakh.com/eng/2010/10/asylum-seekers-risk-persecution-if-sent-back-to-chechnya/

Vietnamese children draw war

http://newsodrome.com/psychology_news/healing-from-vietnamese-children-s-art-20956844

Israeli children draw war

[Kathryn41 3,205]

As a moderator I am closing this topic to further discussion for the reasons outlined below.

Many of you do not know that my professional training is as a Museum Curator and I spent 25 years in various curatorial positions before I moved to the US. I have been in the position of creating, booking and showing controversial exhibits and the challenges associated with that. My professional review of this situation is that while all museum professionals abhor 'censorship' in history, in this case, my sympathies are with the Museum.

The reason I am closing this thread is I have read through a lot of the different media reports of this incident. The above article is one of the most inflammatory ones I read obviously designed to incite angst and acrimony. The writers are not at all concerned about the issues involved with the exhibit and the Museum and are using it for their own propaganda. Those objecting to the exhibit were equally vociferous, and the Museum Board felt that they were being placed in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute - a place they were ill-equipped to be - and realized this exhibit was being turned into part of that battlefield.

The exhibit 'entitled "A Child's View Of Gaza" is a display of art concerning a specific aspect of the war known as Operation Cast Lead that started in 2008, and the highlight of the exhibit featured 50 pieces of artwork culled from art therapy sessions of children who experienced the attacks. Articles like the ones above are focusing on the horrific images, using these children and their art as pawns in their own political agendas. Those who are objecting to the exhibit are equally as guilty.

The exhibit was not designed nor intended to be a political statement, but it has been made so even before its opening. Neither side has mentioned that included in this exhibit are drawings showing hope for the future, a desire for peaceful activities and freedom to live normal lives. These, however, are not the images either group has been focusing on as these do not meet the 'needs' of the various agendas. None of these hopeful drawings have been included in the polarized media accounts.

If this truly were censorship then the Museum would not have scheduled the exhibit to begin with. What led to the exhibit's cancellation was the shanghaiing of the exhibit by extremely vocal advocates on both sides of the conflict who were using this solely as a weapon to further their own agendas.

On Visa Journey we have experienced the same type of polarity - no focus on balance, only on trying to incite as strong an emotional reaction as one can for whatever side the poster supports. If I had the same control as the Museum Board does, I too, would put a stop to the constant use of Visa Journey forums as a battlefield for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This activity breeds animosity, anger, hatred and violence - and is no more effective at finding resolution on Visa Journey than it is in the world at large.

Since the article above is just as biased and is fully intended for inflammatory propaganda purposes, I am closing this thread to further discussion.

Here, btw - is a balanced account of the decision made by the Museum:

Calif. museum cancels Palestinian kids’ art exhibit

September 12, 2011

(JTA) -- A children's museum in California canceled an exhibit of Palestinian children's artwork illustrating the Gaza War after receiving pressure from the community.

Jewish groups, as well as other groups in the community, had complained to the Museum of Children's Art in Oakland about the exhibit scheduled to go on display Sept. 24, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The museum canceled the exhibit late last week, saying it did not want to be dragged into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, according to the Chronicle.

Created by children aged 9 to 11, the drawings in the exhibit showed bombs falling and people being struck by them, and tanks firing.

The exhibit, which was to open with special poetry and art projects for children, was organized by the Middle East Children's Alliance. The Alliance is searching for a new venue for the exhibit.

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/09/12/3089332/palestinian-kids-art-exhibit-cancelled