Gaza Art Exhibit Cancellation Response Overlooks Main Issue

by Maia Wachtel

Nov 03 2011

In response to 14201 A Child’s View from Gaza.

Dear Editor:

Myrna David’s recent letter to the editor, Cancellation of Gaza Art Exhibit Does Not Tell Full Story, published on November 1, seems to have missed the main point of Noga Wizansky's article A Child’s View from Gaza in Art Practical 3.3. Namely, it is wrong for MOCHA to censor the voices of the children in Gaza; it is both a violation of the rights of the children to publicly express and bring attention to their experiences, as well as a violation of the necessity to bring awareness about the issue to the public. In addition, David’s comment that “the exhibit is being displayed elsewhere” overlooks the issue of censorship. If an exhibit created by children is not suitable for a children’s art venue, then what is?

It is important to note that MOCHA did not cancel the exhibit of its own accord, but rather in response to pressures from outside groups. The museum’s job is to provide a place for people to share with the public issues of personal and societal importance, a job that should not be performed any differently when applied to the group of children from Gaza. It is not the museum’s job to cater to the fears of possible visitors. If parents don’t want their children exposed to the images, then it is perfectly within their rights not to take their children to see the work. Because such potential visitors have the luxury to be able to choose whether or not to attend the exhibit, they should not be so selfish as to use their fear as an excuse to censor the children of Gaza.

–Maia Wachtel
  UC Berkeley Student

Cancellation of Gaza Art Exhibit Does Not Tell Full Story

by Myrna David

Nov 01 2011

In response to A Child’s View from Gaza.

Dear Editor:

In an article published in Art Practical 3.3, Noga Wizansky describes the cancellation of an art exhibit featuring Palestinian children’s art at the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) in Oakland. MOCHA is a valued community educational institution that offers art classes and field trips for children as young as three years of age. Many pieces in the show, which was organized by a separate organization that is strongly antagonistic towards Israel, depict gory images juxtaposed against soldiers wearing large Jewish stars, as well as tanks and planes also bearing this iconic symbol of the Jewish people.

It was not the political bias of the exhibit per se that resulted in a meeting between local Jewish leaders and the staff of MOCHA, but rather a genuine concern that an audience of very young children without a chaperone would not comprehend the complexities of this material. Further concern was expressed for Jewish children who might attend the art institution as part of a field trip and potentially be targeted for their religion or for wearing a Jewish star. It was only after this meeting and after having received letters from concerned parents and educators that the board of MOCHA determined that the exhibit would be too controversial for their venue and require too much staff time to manage.

Unfortunately, the concerns and roles of local Jewish community organizations have been misrepresented in various reports, including the one written by Wizansky. The art exhibit does present a one-sided view of a very complicated political issue but, more importantly, it is not suitable for this children’s art venue. As Wizansky notes, the exhibit is being displayed elsewhere and this new venue has garnered no protest from the organized Jewish community.

–Myrna David
  East Bay Regional Director
  Jewish Community Relations Council