For Immediate Release - March 21, 2002

For more information contact: Svetlana Mintcheva, Arts Advocacy Coordinator, 212/807-6222 x 23, svetlana@ncac.org

NEW YORK, NY -- Today, the National Coalition Against Censorship is urging the Tennessee Arts Commission to reconsider its apparent policy of banning all artwork containing nude figures from the TAC Gallery located in Nashville. The Tennessee Arts Commission and its gallery are funded by the State of Tennessee and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The NCAC was made aware of the TAC's policy after the Gallery accepted an exhibition proposal from artist Ernie Sandidge in November 2001. Neither the initial call for submissions or Sandidge's letter of acceptance from the TAC mentioned any content restrictions on artwork. However, Sandidge was later informed of the alleged policy, after he submitted his work, via a phone call from a TAC official. Despite repeated requests from the artist and the NCAC, the Tennessee Arts Commission refuses to produce the policy in question.

According to Svetlana Mintcheva, Arts Advocacy Coordinator at NCAC, "the nude has historically been a central subject of art. A practice of excluding nudes would effectively ban Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Manet, Picasso, and many other classical and modern artists from the TAC Gallery." Added Mintcheva, "the TAC's alleged policy is ridiculously short-sighted and does a great disservice to not only artists but also the many art-lovers in Tennessee."

For a copy of the letter from the NCAC to the Tennessee Arts Commission about this controversy, please contact Svetlana Mintcheva (contact information at top of page).