A free society is based on the principle that each and every individual has the right to decide what art or entertainment he or she wants — or does not want — to receive or create. Once you allow the government to censor someone else, you cede to it the power to censor you, or something you like. Censorship is like poison gas: a powerful weapon that can harm you when the wind shifts. [1]
There has been a lot of discussion about the speakers since they launched in Fall 2022. At the time, I was showered with support from colleagues and students, university staff and administrators. People could be seen gathering on the steps to hear what played next as they chatted or had their lunch. I was so excited for the possibilities of sharing this new platform with my students and community!
But within months another spirit of discourse emerged without my knowledge. Thankfully, a concerned student reached out to me and informed me of a petition being drafted to remove the speakers from their perch. I am certainly not the first artist facing controversy in the realm of public art, but I also believe that the threat of censorship should not be permitted to silence creative expression or critical discourse. I removed the speakers voluntarily to reassess the schedule. I do not want my art or the art work made by our students to be disturbing, but I also believe that art is not always pleasant. Art should move you to think differently, feel something, change your mind. The art work functions to highlight elements of our lives we often ignore, so we can experience them in a new way.
Art may be censored if it is deemed obsene or directly offensive, but legitimate artistic expressions are never, however, considered obscene because in Miller v. California (1973) the Supreme Court excluded materials with “serious artistic value” from the definition of obscenity. [2]
But public art in particular has to be negotiated. Therefore we have determined that the station will stream on two channels, one for the internet and one for the installation. For the internet it will be on most of the time, as long as we have interesting content to share. (Anyone interested in being a radio contributor let me know at @sashpetrenko). As for the installation it will return to it’s original location this spring and only broadcast between 4PM and 10PM and 7AM and 9AM, for only 5 – 15 minutes each hour. The volume will be controlled to adhere to local ordinances and content will be curated to enhance the listener experience depending on the time of day, the season and so on… playlists will be posted so artists and friends can explore our content and we welcome your feedback and participation. Thanks for listening!
[1] https://www.aclu.org/other/freedom-expression-arts-and-entertainment [2] https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/978/art-censorship
