Vandalized Art Show

[JesusA (imported)]

Further information on how much further we need to go; how much work we have ahead of us. When I was young and active in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, I thought that prejudice would disappear in my lifetime. I now doubt that it will disappear in my grandson’s lifetime. We ALL need to continue to work on it, though….

Vandalized in Seattle

Divas of San Francisco Photo Show

The gallery in Seattle that is exhibiting 19 portraits of transsexual women from David Steinberg's book, Divas of San Francisco, was vandalized over Easter weekend, apparently by someone who was offended by the photos.

A heavy metal utility cover was thrown through one of the plate glass windows of Benham Gallery in downtown Seattle early Easter morning, March 23. On Saturday, March 22, while the gallery was open, someone also smeared feces on the window.

The SeattleTimes story about the incident is attached below, as well as Benham Gallery's press release, and links to other stories in Seattle media.

Marita Holdaway, curator of Benham Gallery, is courageously standing behind Steinberg's images, as well as those of three other photographers -- Paul Dahlquist, Fiona Aboud, and Sean Newman -- also being exhibited as part of Benham Gallery's "Erotic Beauty" show.

After being closed for three days, the gallery reopened on Wednesday, March 26. The exhibit continues through April 12.

Holdaway states in her press release that the vandalism of her gallery calls attention to the violence and stigmatization that confront transgender people every day of their lives. Steinberg has written that it was with an eye to educating people about the courage and humanity of transsexual women he met at Divas Nightclub and Bar in San Francisco that he put together both his book and an ongoing series of exhibits of portraits of transsexual women from Divas.

Transgender activist Jamison Green notes that “free expression does not extend to vandalism. A civil society accommodates divergent opinion and freedom of expression, but abhors, denounces, and punishes violence. People who resort to violence to express their reaction to art, should be denounced by public officials, and the perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted.”

Skye Ambrose, one of the women represented in the show, is philosophical about the vandalism at Benham Gallery. "Great art has never been well received at the time it was conceived," she says. "Most of the amazing work we study today in art classes was, at it's time, controversial and upseting. This art will live on. It will be remembered and that is what is important!"

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Photo gallery's window smashed

By Nancy Bartley

Seattle Times staff reporter

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A window featuring a display of photographs of transgender women was smashed early Sunday in an act of vandalism the owner of Benham Gallery believes was committed by someone offended by the photos' subject matter.

A large Seattle utility-hole cover was hurled through the window at 1216 First Avenue, breaking the glass, slamming against a wall and damaging the floor when it fell.

The previous day, someone smeared feces on the window while the gallery was open, said Marita Holdaway, the gallery owner. No one noticed anyone until one of the gallery employees saw something on the glass, went out and checked and "saw it was something unpleasant," Holdaway said. Holdaway ran outside and saw a large, bearded man looking at the gallery and laughing.

When she was notified about the window being smashed, she placed a note on the plastic window covering.

"We believe our window was smashed by a person who was challenged by the content of this exhibition. The subjects of these artworks have experienced enough of this kind of cowardliness and violence. We are happy to discuss our curatorial decisions with anyone who wishes to talk with us instead of experiencing this kind of behavior."

The exhibit called "Erotic Beauty" opened March 5, featuring the work of Paul Dahlquist, David Steinberg, Fiona Aboud and Sean Newman. Also during the exhibit, which will continue until April 12, Steinberg led a discussion about his book, "Divas of San Francisco," featuring portraits of transsexual women who frequent San Francisco's Divas Nightclub and Bar.

The subjects of the photos have a difficult time living their lives, Holdaway said. "This is discouraging that someone would feel this angry."

According to Seattle police, there are no suspects and no estimate of loss.

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For Immediate Release

From: Benham Gallery <gallery@benhamgallery.com>

Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:40:45 -0700

Subject: Gallery vandalized on Easter

On Easter Eve a large pane glass window was smashed with a metal

Seattle Utility cover at 1216 1st Avenue, Benham Gallery. Saturday afternoon

someone spread feces across our windows.

Marita Holdaway, gallery owner, placed this note on the plastic

that covers the broken glass until it is repaired Monday:

"We believe our window was smashed by a person who was challenged

by the content of this exhibition. The subjects of these artworks have

experienced enough of this kind of cowardliness and violence.

We are happy to discuss our curatorial decisions with anyone who

wishes to talk with us instead of experiencing this kind of behavior.

Happy Easter!"

Censorship is alive, violent and expensive in Seattle.

We would like to thank the Seattle police department for covering the

window and securing the premise!

If you have any questions please call 206-622-2480 and ask for Marita.

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URLs of news stories:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... ry25m.html

www.sgn.org/sgnnews36_13/page3.cfm

www.kirotv.com/news/15693805/detail.html

www.komotv.com/news/local/16976126.html

www.seattleweekly.com/arts/blogs/thread ... ed_for.php

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THE BOOK

For over five years, David Steinberg has been photographing transsexual women who frequent San Francisco's Divas Nightclub and Bar, the premier transgender club in the U.S. With this collection of intimate, revealing portraits, Steinberg honors the individuality, diversity, and fierce integrity of a group of people who are alternately ignored and fetishized, but rarely acknowledged and appreciated for who they really are.

These 59 full-page color portraits of transsexual dancers, bartenders, lip-sync performers, disc jockeys, regulars, and visitors reach beneath an often glamorous surface to present a broad spectrum of remarkable women in all their complexity -- their joy, sadness, strength, uncertainty, toughness, vulnerability and, most of all, their courage in embracing the core of who they know themselves to be in the face of a misunderstanding, frightened, and often hostile world.

Ordering information]

Autographed copies of Divas of San Francisco: Portraits of Transsexual Women are available for $25 postpaid (half price) from:

David Steinberg

P.O. Box 641312

San Francisco, CA 94164

[I know we have a policy here of not posting information about items that are for pay, but this is a fine offer for an important cause. Feel free to ignore it.]

[tugon (imported)]

We still have a long way to go. I can not understand the need to hate or why it has to be. Hate to me is the only evil we have to fight. I fear for many I love who are transgendered because if the images are attacked what might happen to my friends. I am going to buy the book not only to help me better understand the struggles but to encourage those who work to get the message out.

[randy (imported)]

could be george bush for naming the sewage plant after him...

[jemagirl (imported)]

I rather doubt it, being that George W. Bush was probably not aware of anything art related going on in Seattle. Besides the sewage plant you are talking about is in San Francisco.

[ramses (imported)]

It could have been just simple vandalism and nothing else that was hyped and used to further someones cause. Seattle is one of the most progressive cities in the US and I really don't think intollerence or hate is much of an issue there. There are a lot of crazy ass, shit throwing street people in that area so I'm not sure if "hate crime" is the immediate conclusion to jump to. Just another (rational) point of view.

[homptydumpty (imported)]

Seattle is one of the most progressive cities in the US and I really don't think intollerence or hate is much of an issue there.

Really don't think..... there.....

I live in Seattle & i really do know that for every progressive person in this town there is a ignernt hatter ready to breed fear.

There are a lot of crazy ass, shit throwing street people in that area so I'm not sure if "hate crime" is the immediate conclusion to jump to. Just another (rational) point of view.

News Flash for any one outside the immediate Seattle area. We residents of the city of Seattle have experienced a huge increase in hate crimes as "progress" brings closed minded homophobic haters into the city.

don't just take my word for it!

Sources of refference~

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=504087

[plix (imported)]

It's important to keep in mind that many people who seem to dislike a specific group of people do not inherently dislike that group, but only dislike them because they are part of a group that is different from what is accepted by mainstream society.

[ramses (imported)]

Whatever the vandals reason for doing what they did, they should be caned fiercely.

[homptydumpty (imported)]

Feeling bad for not giving the show needed credit~

A coworker and myself where walking home from a few drinks when she noticed the exhibit threw the window & pointed it out. This was post vandalism yet pre my knowledge of its existence from jesus post. My friend teased me saying she shouldnt look to close at the girl's or she might find one is me! I felt honored to be compared to such beauties....

I will go to the exhibit because i feel a connection to the muse.

[twaddler (imported)]

"

someone also smeared feces on the window.

"

lol... wtf. did they shit on the spot or did they happen to coincidentally carrying feces?