Posted on 11/30/2010 5:55:27 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Smithsonian Christmas-Season Exhibit Features Ant-Covered Jesus, Naked Brothers Kissing, Genitalia, and Ellen DeGeneres Grabbing Her Breasts WARNING: This story contains graphic photographs of items on display in an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. Monday, November 29, 2010 By Penny Starr
(CNSNews.com) -- The federally funded National Portrait Gallery, one of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, is currently showing an exhibition that features images of an ant-covered Jesus, male genitals, naked brothers kissing, men in chains, Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts, and a painting the Smithsonian itself describes in the show's catalog as "homoerotic."
The exhibit, “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” opened on Oct. 30 and will run throughout the Christmas Season, closing on Feb. 13.
“This is an exhibition that displays masterpieces of American portraiture and we wanted to illustrate how questions of biography and identity went into the making of images that are canonical,” David C. Ward, a National Portrait Gallery (NGP) historian who is also co-curator of the exhibit, told CNSNews.com.
e-brief
A plaque fixed to the wall at the entrance to the exhibit says that the National Portrait Gallery is “committed to showing how a major theme in American history has been the struggle for justice so that people and groups can claim their full inheritance in America’s promise of equality, inclusion, and social dignity. As America’s museum of national biography, the NPG is also vitally interested in the art of portrayal and how portraiture reflects our ideas about ourselves and others.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
I just called the 202-633-2400 number, spoke to a woman, read my understanding of what was in the “art” exhibit, gave my opinion of the “art” and posed the question “Have you no shame?” She paused, apparently not knowing what to say and hung up on me. Now I am calling the office of the head of the Smithsonian to complain about that and the exhibit.
>>This would be a good test for the new freshmen conservatives that were elected with the support of the Tea Party. <<
There is serious talk about defunding Public Radio — let’s press to completely defund the NEA.
She told me she would put me through, but that I would need to leave a message but that they were very good at getting back to people.
I left my message----having previewed enough at the CNS link at the top of this thread to make me feel sick. I left my opinion and I hope I get a call. Thank you for making this so very easy to do...feels MUCH BETTER making that call than preaching to the choir, as it were.
He must be weeping.
From the excerpt: “...so that people and groups can claim their full inheritance in America’s promise of equality, inclusion, and social dignity. “
First of all, only Individuals have Rights, not groups!
Secondly, *where* does America promise equality, inclusion and social justice? Our rights are endowed to each individual by our Creator, *not* by our gov’t!
Social justice isn’t justice.
Social engineering isn’t engineering.
Social science isn’t science.
Don’t waste time calling Smithsonian. Call the House Republican leadership. Come January, they’ll be in a position to ask Smithsonian officials a lot of questions. With massive deficits, we need budget cuts — and now we now where to start.
Consider yourself highly commended, sir!
Cheers!
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