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Before it traveled to Texas, the show, called called "Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá — Neither from Here Nor from There," had a successful run in Massachusetts at Boston University. But within a couple of days of its opening at UNT on Feb. 3, Quiñonez was being pinged on social media by students: The exhibition had been shut down.
"Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá" incorporated pieces from a series Quiñonez calls "I.C.E. Scream," which includes large resin sculptures in bright colors.
At first glance, those brightly-colored treats look like fun, nostalgic pop art. But there's something else going on, too. Each one has an item encapsulated inside of it, including handcuffs, replica firearms and old rosaries.
"When you're a child finishing your ice cream, there was sometimes a stamp or a joke that was put onto the popsicle stick," Quiñonez said. But what's stamped on these sticks is not a corny Dad joke, but a parody of the official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seal with text that reads: "U.S. Inhumane and Cruelty Enforcement."
Initially, the administrators discussed removing some of the pieces from the show. But then the provost texted that he wanted to take down the entire exhibition instead. McPherson wrote, "I think it'll be easier to manage any barking from our friends in Austin."
"It's not like they were directly censored," Schrader said of UNT. "There were no politicians that directly came and said, 'You cannot have this show.'" Schrader said that's where the real story is. [that the schools are self-censoring, fearing repercussions from up above.]
"I feel like everyone is acting like they're walking on eggshells and they feel very nervous as artists," [arts graduate] said. For example, members of the UNT arts faculty wrote an open letter in protest over the exhibition's closure — but did not sign their names.
"Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá" incorporated pieces from a series Quiñonez calls "I.C.E. Scream," which includes large resin sculptures in bright colors.
At first glance, those brightly-colored treats look like fun, nostalgic pop art. But there's something else going on, too. Each one has an item encapsulated inside of it, including handcuffs, replica firearms and old rosaries.
"When you're a child finishing your ice cream, there was sometimes a stamp or a joke that was put onto the popsicle stick," Quiñonez said. But what's stamped on these sticks is not a corny Dad joke, but a parody of the official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seal with text that reads: "U.S. Inhumane and Cruelty Enforcement."
Managing 'barking' from Austin
The University of North Texas did not respond to multiple requests from NPR for comment on why they had closed the exhibition. But an independent arts journalist, Adam Schrader, the founder of the site Urgent Matter, filed a public records access request. He obtained text messages between UNT President Harrison Keller and then-Provost Michael McPherson about the show's removal, and posted some of them online. McPherson stepped down from the position in May to become a senior advisor to Keller.Initially, the administrators discussed removing some of the pieces from the show. But then the provost texted that he wanted to take down the entire exhibition instead. McPherson wrote, "I think it'll be easier to manage any barking from our friends in Austin."
"It's not like they were directly censored," Schrader said of UNT. "There were no politicians that directly came and said, 'You cannot have this show.'" Schrader said that's where the real story is. [that the schools are self-censoring, fearing repercussions from up above.]
"I feel like everyone is acting like they're walking on eggshells and they feel very nervous as artists," [arts graduate] said. For example, members of the UNT arts faculty wrote an open letter in protest over the exhibition's closure — but did not sign their names.
