By Linda Isam Haddad in Los Angeles |
Wednesday 20 April 2005, 6:05 Makka Time, 3:05 GMT
Chronicling the modern history of Palestinians since 1948, Made in
The exhibit displays the works of selected Palestinian artists
from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as well as those living in exile in
countries such as Currently on display in
As a result, most museums are fearful that hosting an exhibit that is pro-Palestinian could cost them their funding.
"I thought I had enough contacts to get this exhibit shown in museums across the nation, but I found out that even people who I considered close contacts said off-the-record they would lose their museum funding if they were to hold an exhibit that was pro-Palestinian," lamented James Harithas, curator of the Made in Palestine exhibition.
Once the current show draws to a close on 21 April, organisers
suspect it could be curtains for the exhibition.
Negative
imagery
"We are dealing with immense ignorance here and it's unfortunate that people have one image of Palestinians and automatically deny anything created by the Palestinian people," Harithas told Aljazeera.net.
Funding for the art exhibit
has |
Other art connoisseurs shared his dismay.
"It is
absolutely tragic the exhibit is only showing in
In an effort to raise funds for a future showing of the exhibit
in
"We are living in a country where anything that is critical of
New York protest
Two
Ammo Box is meant to highlight
|
Legislators George Oros and Jim Maisano said the fundraiser promoted
offensive art that glorified terrorism.
Assemblyman Ryan Karben called
on county executives to cancel the fundraiser, because the artists' works
promoted terrorism and violence.
"There
are also displays of violence that the artists claim are showing the proud Arab
masses standing up to advanced ammunition of the Israelis using only stones. An
ammunition box that would normally hold bullets for M-16 rifles is filled with
rocks," Karben said in a written statement.
"This
is how ridiculous the situation is,"
"Yet
some right-wing politicians will call the piece of art a glorification of
violence,"
Show
goes on
But
undeterred organisers say the show must go on.
Harithas, convinced
about the Palestinian cause, said "Palestinian art with all its passion needed
to be displayed and viewed in the
Halaby,
meanwhile, has helped to raise $25,000 in the hope that the exhibit debuts in
New York.
About $100,000 is required to rent space for the exhibit.
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