This photo was taken at my Art Opening for my solo show at the Huntington Public Library on Main Street in Huntington, NY in March, 1995. Just after I had won the Federal Court case having to do with censorship of my art at another library, the Director of Huntington Library at the time called me and offered me a show in support of my case. She wanted to show her support of me and of freedom of expression, which the judge’s ruling had just upheld.
Two of the paintings in this photo were banned by the Manhasset Public Library along with another not pictured in this photo, and that caused me to ask a coworker if she thought this might be a case of censorship. At the time I worked at the library at LIU Post and my coworker was a member of the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship. She spoke with the other members of the Coalition and then invited me to go talk with them about how I might be able to communicate with the library and somehow come to an understanding about what had just happened. It was an extremely challenging time to say the least, and after trying to work it out for 2-1/2 years with library officials in Manhasset, it ended up going to court. With a lot of support, I felt and still feel that I did the right thing. The case is being cited in similar situations around the country and is now being taught in law schools.
One thing I continue to say is that I love libraries. Even the people in the Coalition said they were usually in the position of defending libraries from those who would censor books and other forms of free speech. Libraries stand for freedom. My first job as a teenager was in a public library. I have worked in many libraries - the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library at LIU Post, the Slide Library at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Frick Art Reference Library, The Slide Library at college where I worked with Martha Briggs for four years, and the public library in my hometown.
I was thrilled when the Director of the Huntington Public Library on Main Street in Huntington, NY (there are three libraries in Huntington, NY) reached out to me in 1995 to offer me a solo show and I was very happy and honored to show there.
Now once again, 28 years later, I am very happy to be showing my art at the Huntington Public Library on Main Street this month. The show is titled “Mystic Visions” and I am in the process of preparing work to hang in the next few days (with a lot of help). I am so grateful.
A funny thing - the day of the Opening Reception in 1995 happened to be the day of the St. Patrick's Day parade. And, as it turns out, the same thing is happening this year! People still attended back then and I hope friends will stop by the Opening Reception this time too, on March 12th, to see my new art and say hello.