June 12, 2001

Subject: censhorship
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 18:34:59 -0400
From: "lee maracle" <maraclelee@hotmail.com>
To: almalopez@earthlink.net

As a Salish writer I am committed to the "right to voice and the obligation to express".  I know how it feels to be told "take the drinking out and we will publish the story".  I am soo curious about the "work".  I am aware of a painting I fell in love with here in Toronto called "Our lady of Missausauga", in which the artist shows "12 desciples" all looking like "chairman's of the board", in the floor tiling and knick knacks on the shelf were images of herself and each member of her family.  "Our Lady of Missausauga" was the "chairwomen of a corporate board" and the desciples were all clapping.  It too was subjected to a lot of attempts at censorship. 

 

From: Patricia Montgomery [mailto:patricia_montgomery@devstu.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 2:44 PM
To: info
Subject: "Our lady"

As an artist, I see nothing wrong with the way Alma Lopez depicted "Our Lady". She has depicted the Virgin Mary in as a modern woman someone that she relates too. She does not dishonor her as the some of the comments have indicated. Yes, it is a religous image that has been updated and placed in the everyday world. The musuem should not take it down and I hope that they will not do so. It is important for artist and musuem to have the freedom to express their creativity and spirituality. No one not even the public has a right to take that away. If they do not want to see the work then they do not have to but do not denial others from see it and expreinces the beauty and spiritual intent of the artist.

Patricia A. Montgomery
Administrative Assistant
Developmental Studies Center