Samia Halaby's exhibition was cancelled last month by Indiana University campus officials and academic leaders. The exhibition would have featured artwork dating back to the '60s during her time as an IU student. (Courtesy of Madison Gordon)
As IU stands by its decision to cancel a Palestinian artist’s exhibition, national organizations against censorship have joined the call to reverse the decision and condemn the university.
IU’s Eskenazi Museum of Art’s “Samia Halaby: Centers of Energy” exhibition was canceled Dec. 20 after three years of preparation due to security concerns. The exhibition was set to open in February as the first American retrospective of Halaby’s work.
Halaby is regarded as a pioneer in twentieth-century abstract art and one of Palestine’s most acclaimed artists. Born in Palestine, she’s a life-long activist for the region’s people and freedom.
Read more: IU Eskenazi art museum cancels Palestinian artist's exhibition
The National Coalition Against Censorship wrote to IU President Pamela Whitten Jan. 11, saying the organization was deeply disturbed by the cancellation and urged the university to move forward with the exhibition.
Elizabeth Larison, director of arts and culture advocacy for the NCAC, said the group is worried that Halaby’s politics and advocacy for Palestinian people provoked security concerns. She said students should be exposed to a broad range of ideas and political speech.
“As a public university in the United States of America, it is and should be within Indiana University's realm of ability to be able to present a work of abstract art, regardless of the political opinions of the artist,” Larison said.
Madison Gordon, Halaby’s grand-niece and collaborator, created a public petition to reinstate Halaby’s exhibition last week, gathering more than 13,500 signatures by the time of publication. The petition came after requesting an explanation from IU for weeks, Gordon said. It asks Whitten to reinstate the exhibition.
The NCAC’s letter to Whitten also went unacknowledged, Larison said, and she’s heard that IU is not changing its position.
“This is deeply disappointing to us,” Larison said. “It's very foreboding that this is something that other public universities might consider or be emboldened to do as well.”
PEN America, an organization that defends artistic freedom and freedom of expression, also sounded the alarm. Julie Trébault, director of PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection, called the cancellation “an alarming affront to free expression” and urged the university to reinstate the exhibition.
“Universities must champion freedom of expression and artistic freedom, even if it is uncomfortable. Halaby is a champion of Palestinian rights and freedoms — there is no justification for the cancellation of their exhibition,” Trébault said.
Halaby’s exhibition could have been a non-confrontational way to foster dialogue, reflection and connection, Trébault said. PEN America and ARC have spoken about a concerning wave of cancellations and challenges to academic and artistic freedom since the start of the Israel-Hamas War Oct. 7.
“The events at IU fit into a larger pattern of overreach and excessive actions we see worldwide from universities and art institutions that only lead to further polarization and instill a culture of self-censorship,” Trébault said.
Read more: Bill to define, ban antisemitism advanced unanimously by House committee
Larision believes by canceling the exhibition, IU missed an opportunity to educate the public and display different perspectives safely.
“That is an opportunity for the university to engage with the student body, to put together programming or panels in which different perspectives can be discussed and learned about in an educational and productive manner,” Larison said.
Trébault said in times of conflict and social upheaval, the power of art is “paramount.”
“The emergencies, conflicts, and pressing issues we face today will not be solved by siloing ourselves and folding to the pressure or shadow of censorship,” Trébault said. “They will be solved by collective, good faith, and empathetic approaches to finding solutions and creating transformational change in our systems and institutions.”
Bloomington Provost Shrivastav responds to controversy and explains reasoning
An IU spokesperson said in an email statement that the exhibit was canceled “due to concerns about guaranteeing the integrity of the exhibit for its duration.” The spokesperson said campus officials and academic leaders made the decision.
At a Bloomington Faculty Council meeting Tuesday, Council President Colin Johnson said no elected members were included in the decision to cancel the exhibition, and he does not agree with the decision to cancel it. The meeting drew about 70 listeners and protestors as Johnson and Provost Rahul Shrivastav responded to the recent controversy.
Shrivastav began his address by saying he and IU leaders affirm academic and artistic freedom, support IU’s Palestinian and Arab community, and respect faculty governance. He said sometimes the university cannot be fully transparent for several reasons, including security, legal and reputational concerns.
Read more: IU suspends professor after Palestine event, faculty say IU broke procedure
Shrivastav said the exhibition was canceled because of safety concerns after recent events, calling Halaby’s art display a “lightning rod” for protests in the middle of campus that would “galvanize” competing ideas.
He mentioned an October protest and vigil that drew hundreds to IU’s campus and the Palestinian Solidarity Committee’s November meeting that led to the suspension of Associate Professor and Advisor Abdulkader Sinno. He said these large events could have easily become violent, which drew laughs from the audience.
When pressed for more information on security concerns by the faculty council, Shrivastav said IU is constantly assessing security threats. He did not elaborate on any specific threats or name those who made the decision to cancel the event.
“I will tell you from my perspective, if I have to make a decision on keeping a project or program going when there is a risk of violence or risk of other incidents, I would err on the side of caution,” Shrivastav said.
The threat of a perceived protest is different from the threat of violence, Larison said. Threats of violence should be reported and dealt with alongside law enforcement to protect people, but IU didn’t provide any more information to the NCAC when they asked about credible threats.
“We don't understand that to be the case here,” Larison said.
Read more: IU faculty respond to Rep. Jim Banks in letter defending academic freedom
Trébault highlighted Rep. Jim Banks’ November letter to Whitten, in which the lawmaker requested information on antisemitic events on campus and called pro-Palestinian protests “pro-terrorist.” This raised the possibility that Halaby’s cancellation was because of political pressure.
“Even the perception that a legislative inquiry into the handling of antisemitism could prompt the cancellation of a long-planned exhibition of a Palestinian artist, an exhibition that no one argues is in any way antisemitic, is deeply concerning,” Trébault said.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @aubreymwright.
