US university to cover Christopher Columbus murals

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


US university to cover Christopher Columbus murals
The Main Building on the campus of Notre Dame University on July, 13, 2017, in South Bend, Indiana. The University of Notre Dame, one of the oldest and most prestigious US centers of higher learning, will cover murals depicting Christopher Columbus out of concern that the art works depict a skewed history of colonial America. Painted on the walls of the Catholic institution's main building -- a grand structure with a golden dome built in 1879 -- the 12 murals display various moments in the life and exploration of Columbus. Nova SAFO / AFP.



CHICAGO (AFP).- The University of Notre Dame, one of the oldest and most prestigious US centers of higher learning, will cover murals depicting Christopher Columbus out of concern that the art works depict a skewed history of colonial America.

Painted on the walls of the Catholic institution's main building -- a grand structure with a golden dome built in 1879 in the Midwestern state of Indiana -- the 12 murals display various moments in the life and exploration of Columbus.

Critics say the images celebrate outdated stereotypes of Native Americans while ignoring the devastating consequences of colonialism.

The university's president Rev John Jenkins said in an open letter that the works, painted by Luigi Gregori in the 1880s, were intended to portray Catholic immigrants in a positive light at a time when they faced discrimination in America.

However, he acknowledged that in recent years the murals have come to be perceived as "at best blind to the consequences of Columbus's voyage for the indigenous peoples who inhabited this 'new' world and at worst demeaning toward them."

While the school attempted to address the problem by providing brochures that put the murals in historic context, Jenkins said that has not been enough.

The murals, which were painted directly onto the building's plaster walls and thus cannot be removed, will be preserved but covered. The university plans to create a separate, permanent display of photographs of the murals that will put them in proper historic context.

"We wish to preserve artistic works originally intended to celebrate immigrant Catholics who were marginalized at the time in society, but do so in a way that avoids unintentionally marginalizing others," Jenkins said.

The school's Native American Student Association praised the move in a Facebook post as a "thoughtful and wise decision."

"This is a good step towards acknowledging the full humanity of those Native people who have come before us."

The Catholic university was founded in 1842 by Edward Sorin, a French missionary priest, and currently has about 12,000 students.


© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

January 24, 2019

Jonas Mekas, godfather of American experimental film, dies at 96

US university to cover Christopher Columbus murals

Gagosian opens an exhibition of over forty works on paper by Walter De Maria

Vancouver Art Gallery announces major gift toward new building and reveals final designs

Museum reveals time capsule from 1970 in major print series by Robert Rauschenberg

Over thirty sculptures by Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne on view at Kasmin

Zeit Contemporary Art opens the exhibition 'Minimal Means: Concrete Inventions in the US, Brazil and Spain'

Research reveals new species are evolving fastest in Antarctica

From space travel to augmented reality, Crystal Bridges looks for new ways to innovate

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opens exhibition of works by Polly Apfelbaum

Mexico celebrates as 'Roma' grabs 10 Oscar nominations

Exhibition at Fotohof offers an overview of Mark Steinmetz's work

Zimbabwean Afro-jazz legend 'Tuku' dies

Elephant presents a new collaboration between Anna Liber Lewis and Kieran Hebden

The Contemporary Austin presents an exhibition by artists Janine Antoni and Anna Halprin

Rare sledge from heroic Antarctic exploration offered at Bonhams

Exhibition takes a groundbreaking approach to net art history from 1985 to today

The Felicia Michalski Collection of Decorative Arts goes up for bid at Turner Auctions + Appraisals

The Wattis Institute opens solo exhibitions of works by Diamond Stingily and Rosha Yaghmai

All shook up: How Elvis keeps Aussie outback town alive

Safarkhan opens exhibition of works by Mohamed Abla

Gasworks presents Quantum Ghost, the first UK solo exhibition and a major commission by Libita Clayton

Pérez Art Museum Miami welcomes four new members to its Board of Trustees

Gray's Auctioneers sale features African sculptures, masks and jazz recordings




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful