The Michigan Daily-Friday, January 8, 1982-Page 3
Nude portraits provoke
closing of local art show
By JULIE HINDS
Two nude portraits apiearing at a
recent Power Center art exhibit prom-
pted enough controversy to close the
show, and a local gallery owner and a
Royal Oak artist are accusing the of-
ficials involved of unfair censorship.
The nudes appeared in a Curtis
Gallery exhibit commissioned by the
University's Professional Theater
Program. It was scheduled to be
displayed in the Power Center lobby
through the month of December.
ON DEC. 17, however, PTP manager
jean Galan asked that the paintings,
drawings, and sculptures in the exhibit
be removed because of obscene con-
tent, according, to gallery owner
Michael Curtis, who selected works for
the showing.
"Galan thought they were obscene
and shouldn't be shown," Curtis said.
"There were no compaints from the
general public; people couldn't believe
we had to take the exhibit down."
The exhibit's closing was prompted
by reaction to two paintings by William
Girard, one of several artists represen-
ted in the show. His painting titled
Mars featured a nude male god of war,
while Judy in the Stars pictured a nude
figure of an undeterminable sex.
GALAN REQUESTED the removal
of these two works just days after the
exhibit's December premier, Curtis
said. Then on Dec. 17 Galan asked Cur-
tis to shut down the entire show.
"It was censorship," Curtis said. "It
was a ridiculous and foolish move on
their part," he said; adding that he
showed Galan a slide preview of
several nude paintings in the exhibit
prior to the opening.
Shortly after the exhibit closed,
Galan described her decision as "A
personal reaction tempered by what I
thought would be appropriate for our
theater audiences." Galan also added,
"I am not an artist. I am not a con-
noisseur of contemporary art."
GALAN DECLINED last week to
comment on the closing.
"The issue is done. There's nothing
else I wish to say about it," Galan said.
Girard said the removal of his works
was a "terrible form of censorship.
"I'VE NEVER been censored like
this before," Girard said. "What stun-
ned me was it happening in a university
town. I guess a university town is no
different from any small town."
Power Center manager Ralph Beebe
said that although the University owns
the Power Center, it has no control over
its art exhibits. Groups renting the
theater for performances have sole
discretion over what appears or doesn't
appear in the lobby, Beebe said.
This is the first time art has been
taken out of Power Center for reasons
of obscenity, according to Beebe.
"Some things have been taken out ,:
because they were in the way, but not .
for objection to style or content," Beebe.-
said.
CURTIS DEFENDED the artist's use
of nudity, calling it a combination of a
traditional style and a modern inter-
pretation.
Girard said the work was not inten-
ded to be obscene.
"If I were to do an intentionally erotic
piece I wouldn't put it in such a public
gallery. I have responsibility as an ar-
tist," Girard said.
GIRARD SAID he had not been told
why the works were unfit for showing.
"Galan owes me an explanation for
her decision. Galan did not have the
decency to contact me about it," Girard
See ARTISTS, Page 16
DIl o
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.TDaily Photo by PAUL ENGSTROM
'MARS' IS ONE of two paintings by artist William Girard that provoked the controversial Dec. 17 closing of a Curtis
Gallery art exhibit at the Power Center.
HAPPENINGS- Police release
prices on all
new course books.
prices on
good-condition
used course books.
Located in the
2nd floor ballroom
of the Michigan Union.
P o@@
all school supplies,
quality art
and photographic
materials,
calculators,
classical records,-
dorm accessories.
A\ 1~@©
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HIGHLIGHT
A three-day Michigan Gala sponsored by the Michigan Community
,Theatre Foundation begins today with films, an organ concert and a
National Historical Site presentation. The series of events culminates MC-
r'F1's 1981 membership drive..
FILMS
f AAFC-Lolita, 7,9:30 p.mi, Nat. Sci. Aud.
Cinema Guild-Spies, 7 p.m., Lorch Hall.
Cinema Il-The Lady Vanishes, 7 p.m., The 39 Steps, 9 p.m., MLB 4.
Mediatrics-Tommy, 7, 9p.m., MLB 3.
PERFORMANCES
tMichiganCommunity Theatre Foundation-Michigan Gala, 1, 6:30, 8:30
p.m., Michigan Theatre.
SPEAKERS
Residential College-Leslie Sponsel, "The Cultural Ecology of the
Amazon," 4p.m., 126 East Quadrangle.
Astronomy-Sandra Faber, "Galaxy Formation," 4 p.m., 807 Dennison.
MEETINGS
Continuing Education for Women-Single Mothers' Support Group, 11-1
.m., 2nd Floor of Huron Valley National Bank Bldg., N. University and S.
Thayer.
Ann Arbor Chinese Bible Class-7:30 p.m., 'University Reformed Chur-
h. Int'l Student Fellowship-7 p.m., 4100 Nixon Rd.
University Duplicate Bridge Club-open game, 7:30 p.m., Michigan
League.
MISCELLANEOUS
S An Arbor Art Association-"Structures and Images," recent work by
Ann Savageau, 7-9 p.m., 117 W. Liberty.
To submit items for the Happenings Column, send them in care of:
happenings, The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI. 48109.
HOUSING DIVISION
RESIDENT STAFF JOB OPENINGS
FOR 1982-83
Have You Considered the U-M Housing Option?
The Housing Division is looking for well-qualified
candidates to serve in the Residence Halls as:
shooting ca-s
Ballroom book display & main store open 7days a week.
By BETH ALLEN
Police, have released a suspect
arrested for the Wednesday abduction
and shooting of an Ann Arbor man.
A 30-year-old Ypsilanti man was
released yesterday morning after sub-
mitting to a lie detector test, according
to Pittsfield Township Police Chief
John Santomauro.
"WE'RE SATISFIED that (the
suspect) is not involved in the in-
cident," Santomauro said.
The suspect was arrested for
allegedly kidnapping and shooting
Thomas Haight, 30, an Ann Arbor in-
surance agent.
Haight was taken at gunpoint from a
car wash at Elmwood and Packard
Wednesday morning and forced to lie
face down in the back seat of his car,
which his assailant drove to an unide-
ntified location.
HAIGHT WAS shot twice in the head
with a small-caliber gun. The at-
tacker searched Haight's wallet and the
car's glove compartment.
Haight was reported in fair conditign
yesterday at St. Joseph Mercy Hospial
after undergoing surgery on Wed-
nesday. The bullets did not penetrate
Haight's skull, Santomauro said.
After shooting Haight, the assailant
resumed driving and crashed into a
parked car at Carpenter Road and
Chester Drive. Haight then regained
consciousness and grabbed his
assailant's head.
Haight's assailant fled the scene of
the accident on foot, according to San-
tomauro.
THE PITTSFIELD Township police
and the Washtenaw County Sheriff
Department have halted their search of
the area, but Pittsfield Township police
are continuing the investigation, San-
tomauro said.
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Graduate Student
Teaching Assistant
Head Librarian.
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