Joseph Perkins

Many artists and museums rely on public grants as a means of support. In the following viewpoint, Joseph Perkins discusses a controversial art exhibit sponsored by the Brooklyn, New York, Museum of Art in late 1999. Perkins contends that some of the art on display is obscene and the American public should not be forced to support obscenity with their tax dollars. He asserts that artists and museums should be subsidized by the private sector, not by the government. Perkins is an editorial writer for the San Diego Union- Tribune.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Perkins, why is Chris Ofili’s painting, The Holy Virgin Mary, so controversial?
2. What happened in Cincinnati when a museum displayed photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe?

Chris Ofili must be pleased as punch. He&rsquo...