Professor Emeritus James Capshew was among the featured experts at the teach-in.
(Max Rebolledo, WTIU)
Artists, historians, lawyers and Indiana University faculty spoke Friday night to an audience of about 100 on the university’s history of academic freedom and the artistry of Palestinian painter Samia Halaby.
The teach-in, “Warning! Dangerous Art!,” in Woodburn Hall featured seven experts.
“Samia Halaby: Centers of Energy” was set to show Feb. 10 at the Eskenazi Museum of Art after three years of preparation. It was canceled Dec. 20 and would have been the first American retrospective of Halaby’s work. IU spokespeople have said the exhibit was canceled because of security concerns, while protestors and free speech organizations claim it was because of Halaby’s identity and politics.
Alex Lichtenstein, chair of the American Studies Department and an organizer of the teach-in, opened the event by explaining the basics of the cancellation and the university’s response.
“I learned that I have been very, very naive about the state of academic freedom on this campus,” he said.
The teach-in, also called "Warning! Dangerous Art!," was created as a way to protest the cancellation of Halaby's exhibit, Lichtenstein said. (Max Rebolledo, WTIU)
Margaret Graves, a Brown University professor of Islamic art and architecture, explained Halaby’s abstract style and decades-long career. She said Halaby’s exhibition would have been an intimate examination of her work and a welcome home — Halaby was an MFA student at IU in the ‘60s and an associate professor. Halaby and the museum’s curators were excited about the exhibit.
“The truth is that at this stage in her career, Halaby really did not need IU,” Graves said. “IU is definitely a loser in this situation.”
Halaby was born in Palestine but was forced to leave after the creation of Israel in 1948, Graves said, but she’s always been reserved about categorizing herself as an Islamic painter. Graves said Halaby’s identity isn’t the only thing that matters.
She said Halaby’s work is striking because of her command of light and color. Halaby’s continuously reflecting on her work and the role of an artist.
“She's kind of an example of how artists become great, because it really is, at the end of the day, just work, done in sincerity, and in earnest,” Graves said.
(Max Rebolledo, WTIU)
Other speakers discussed free speech and academic freedom on college campuses after the Israel-Hamas War began. Professor Emeritus James Capshew spoke about IU’s history of shared governance and Herman B Wells' legacy of allowing free expression of diverse ideas.
“Wells’ inaugural address as president, delivered 86 years ago, speaking of our academic community said, ‘Authority must be derived from reason, not from position,’” Capshew said.
Carl Weinberg, teaching professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, called Halaby’s recent social media posts — including posts saying “liberate the Gaza concentration camp” and “Gaza equals Auschwitz” — abhorrent.
“Antisemitism is not only bad for Jews, it's a poisonous dagger aimed at the heart of any movement that seeks to empower and unite working people of any nationality by providing a convenient scapegoat of Jews for the real evils of the dog-eat-dog capitalist system,” Weinberg said.
Despite this, Weinberg said he wanted to speak out because of the university’s actions. He says he doesn’t believe that IU leaders are looking out for the community’s best interests. He said he thinks IU leaders didn’t like what Halaby had to say about the Israel-Hamas War, so she was banned from campus.
“It's easy to support free speech and free artistic expression when you agree with the speakers and the artists,” Weinberg said. “The real test of free speech is when you detest what the speaker has to say.”
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.
