By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Multidisciplinary Sitka artist Nicholas Galanin, whose work has been exhibited around the world, is among a group of artists withdrawing their work from a prominent New York museum, in protest of a museum board member’s ties to sales of military supplies, including tear gas.
Galanin was among four on Friday who notified the Whitney Museum of American Art that they wanted to withdraw from the Biennial contemporary art showcase. They were joined by four more artists and collectives over the weekend.
The group is protesting Whitney board Vice Chair Warren B. Kanders’ ownership of military supply companies that sell tear gas and bullets, which the artists say have been used against migrants on the U.S. southern border and against unarmed civilian protesters in Gaza.
The show opened May 17, but discussions with the museum started before the exhibit went up, Galanin said. He is among 75 artists with works in the Biennial show. His two works are a textile “White Noise, American Prayer Rug”; and “Let Them Enter Dancing and Showing Their Faces - Shaman.” The latter is from a monoprint series, and displayed at the front of the museum, visible to the street as well as in the museum.
He said he was aware of Kanders’ business when he agreed to display his work in the museum, but also wanted work of Native American artists to be represented in a showcase that historically has been largely dominated by white males over 40. Galanin, 39, is a lifelong Sitkan. His Tlingit name is Yéil Ya-Tseen.
“The first response for me, as an indigenous artist, is we’re used to problematic institutions historically,” he said. “The history of the Whitney Biennial is it has largely excluded certain demographics through time ... Especially representing and coming from an indigenous community, and also being fully aware of the situation, we started a dialogue.”
Nicholas Galanin (Sentinel Photo)
He said he had hoped the museum would remove Kanders from the board, which hasn’t happened.
“Obviously there was an inadequate response, and being in dialogue with a lot of artists we decided to remove our work in protest,” Galanin said.
Galanin’s work and the work of others was still in the museum today.
“You can’t just go in and pull things down,” he said, noting the size of some of the work, including his own installation. “We’re in conversations with the museum and curators right now. We’re still working on the details.”
Galanin said he and the other artists have received an “amazing response” to their actions, but hopes the removal of their work is not the end of the discussion.
“It’s important to open the dialogue and have conversations with everyone to generate responses and feedback, and put pressure on the board,” he said. “It’s important to consider the perspective of board members that shape the institutions, and for them to be diverse and inclusive.”
He and the other artists continue to hope that Kanders will be removed from the board. But they’re also hoping for real change.
“The real outcome will be a revolution in institutions in how they’re shaped, how they’re made and how they engage with communities,” Galanin said. “It seems to me there’s a lot of processing happening.”
More than 100 staff members at the Whitney signed a letter in protest of the selection of Kanders last December.
In response to the artists’ withdrawal of their work, Whitney president Adam D. Weinberg said in a statement in an NPR story that “the Whitney respects the opinions of all the artists it exhibits and stands by their right to express themselves freely. While the Whitney is saddened by this decision, we will of course comply with the artists’ request.”
Galanin said today he was paid $1,500 in artists fees to participate in the show, but that did not cover the costs of traveling to the opening or lodging in New York City.
