Submitted by Stewart Ikeda on
Statement from The Umbrella on Recent Press Coverage of a Sculpture Removed from Art Ramble
The Umbrella is a creative community and welcomes freedom of expression. Recently there have been discussions in the press around a curatorial decision made for our Art Ramble 2020, Water Change: Where Spirit, Nature, and Civilization Meet. We would like to share some of our process with you in the interest of providing greater understanding around our work. As always, we welcome your thoughts and feedback.
In May of 2020, The Umbrella's team including Executive Director Jerry Wedge, Arts & Environment Director Nancy Lippe, and curator Susan Israel, received a proposal from Barbara Fletcher for a sculpture, Invasive Eaters, to be considered for its annual Art Ramble exhibition. On review, Invasive Eaters' depiction of recognizable current political figures and candidates for public office was determined to be inappropriate to the context of the exhibition, and along with many other artists' proposals, it was not accepted for inclusion.
The curator later warranted that the artist's proposal had changed to a smaller and more conceptual sculpture with no recognizable public figures. The Umbrella's staff visited the piece the day after it was installed to discover that the final piece was in line with the original, rejected proposal rather than the approved concept. The staff sent a message to the curator stating the piece was not in line with the representation that was accepted for the exhibit.
The piece was installed on Wednesday, September 9 after the exhibition had opened, and without the curator present. The Umbrella's staff visited the piece the day after it was installed to discover that it was much larger than proposed, and did in fact depict the same images of political figures as in the originally rejected proposal. The staff sent a message to the curator stating the piece was not in line with the representation that was accepted for the exhibit.
Two days later, the curator was able to tour the exhibition, and met with The Umbrella's staff. Given that the piece installed was not the piece accepted into the exhibition, The Umbrella told the curator that piece needed to be removed. The artist has another piece entitled Double Helix that was accepted and remains on display in the exhibition.
The Umbrella's staff reached out to several local galleries to find a host, and was later glad to hear that the artist had found an exhibition in Boston that aligned with and accepted her finished work. The Umbrella wishes her the best.
There have been recent articles in the press reporting that the artist has accused The Umbrella of censoring her piece by removing it from the exhibit. The Art Ramble is not, nor has it ever been, an open invitation for anyone to show whatever they’d like. This exhibit is curated and many proposals are submitted. Some are accepted and some are not. The piece that Ms. Fletcher installed was not approved for the exhibit. Never before have we been in the situation where a curator and artist disregarded an agreement on an accepted piece.
Political topics are by no means taboo. We also value our 501(c)(3) status and will follow the requirements the IRS sets out. As an organization, we have never endorsed or opposed a candidate. This is an election year, and the president is a candidate. It is unfortunate that the publicity around this incident has distracted from the many artists who have contributed powerful, nonpartisan and politically committed work on the important topic of climate change exhibited throughout the Hapgood Wright Town Forest.
The Umbrella is grateful that Concord's Department of Natural Resources has generously entrusted us with this historic town land to host contemporary public art emphasizing environmental stewardship and providing opportunities for dozens of regional artists.
