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VALUES AND AUTHORITY: ART AS SOCIAL LANGUAGE The Honors College at FIU AESTHETICS AND VALUES RESEARCH AND EXHIBITION PROJECT
Reactions: What people have said about the Aesthetic and Values Research and Exhibition Project I wanted to express to you the disappointment that my classmates and I have felt towards the art that has been displayed in the second floor of the library. Most people I have spoken to as well as myself, find it inappropriate, offensive,and even disgusting. I understand that everyone has diffrent opinions about art, however we have not been presented with a choice. We are forced to walk by it everyday on our way to study. Please consider removing the pictures of nude woman and the screen which constantly shows a man's genitals. It isn't appropriate for the students, faculty, and staff to have to look at it everday and especially the children that continuously visit the library.
I attended numerous panels and presentations at the NCHC conference in Denver and came home with a pad full of notes, but I have to admit I took no notes at the presentations made by your students. I was simply mesmerized by their presentations. As one deeply committed to the humanities who has witnessed their steady demise due to the incursion of "career" programs, I found it fascinating to see how you had involved career-track students with art in such a way that seemed certain to assure their life-long connection with it and their understanding of its necessity to the maintenance of the human spirit. Their enthusiasm, their dedication to the project and--most importantly--their understanding of the artist and his mission are matters I am still talking about with anyone who will listen. Congratulations to you and your students!
I really think it is amazing how you created such an impact - not only in the overall success of the exhibition but in all the small collaborative steps on the way to the final show. You have accomplished what I attempt in each of my artistic endeavors. I think the class, the exhibition, the catalog, the controversy and the collaborative expression will continue to resonate with everyone involved long after the show and class have ended. Thanks you for including me in the experience.
I am concerned about the artwork displayed in the second floor of the library. The artwork is unreasonably lascivious and inappropriate for the library. That type of art work should not be displayed in public without some type of warning. The general public should not have to look at a screen with vulgar images when their simply coming to the library to study. It is also disrespectful to the array of religions and cultures which so strongly represents FIU as well as the Honors College. Please consider not only mine but many other student and faculty members concerns about the artwork.
This project is designed not only to heighten students’ appreciation for the arts but also to challenge their preconceptions. Honors College students are taught to question, interpret, and re-interpret intellectual and artistic orthodoxies, challenging the givens of aesthetics and values. Professor Bailly’s course focuses on how art exists within society and emphasizes its connections to all aspects of life.
The Honors College at FIU |
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