From Deseret News archives:
3 censored paintings draw purchase, exhibition offers
Roy High School removed art after student complaints
High school administrators removed the oil paintings by Amanda Fowers. One painting was of a female breast and a hand overlaid by a black censor line. Another depicted a woman's torso, a hand, and the lower half of cleavage. The third showed two hands on a curved hip.
Roy High art teacher Jeffrey Lowe, who defends the art, said he has since received two phone calls from people wondering if Fowers wanted to sell the paintings.
One person also called from California and wants to get the pictures displayed in a gallery, Lowe said.
Fowers said she is open to selling the paintings but has no idea how much to charge.
"It's all new to me," said Fowers, who is headed to Weber State University in the fall to major in art.
District administrators said Fowers' paintings were causing a disruption.
Some students and faculty had complained about the pieces, saying they were offensive.
The weeklong art show was in the school's main foyer. Principal Lee Dickemore declined to comment Wednesday.
The 17-year-old artist's left hand is underdeveloped and allows for little movement.
"Her art is beautiful to me," Toliver said. "I would love it in my office. It's gorgeous. It's not vulgar to me."
Fowers' paintings are the only ones that have been removed, though some others also have drawn complaint.
These include several that show a boy and girl kissing, and a work called "The Bather," which displays a woman's upper buttocks.
Some parents say high school isn't the place for some pieces of art.
"It's probably not things I would want my high school child to see," said Michelle Marshall, and her daughter, Aubree Marshall, a junior, agrees.
"High school students don't view art in a very mature way," she said. "They would be laughing at it."
Svetlana Mintcheva, director of Arts Advocacy for the National Coalition Against Censorship, said art is protected by the First Amendment.
"Removing it shows ignorance of art history and a religious standard gone amok," she said.
Comments
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!


You can be the first to comment on this story.