USI’s Arts Center has recently been the center of political backlash, as alumna Bailey Roby’s latest art piece has been deemed controversial and offensive.
The art piece, “America: Land of the…,” was an interactive display that allowed visitors to take a piece of the flag and complete the sentence on it. Roby said her display received many add-ons from community members and Facebook users from “The 50501 Movement,” where she shared her work and invited visitors to view it. The Facebook group is a public online forum for progressive protestors involved in the 50501 movement.
The artwork was displayed from April 27 until its removal on April 29. “I’m the one who removed it,” Roby explained, citing a call from Sara Christensen Blair, chair of the art and design department.
According to Roby, Christensen Blair claimed that the Arts Center was receiving threats from local organizations.
Christensen Blair explained that she did not hear the threats directly.
“I don’t want to specify what groups, since I don’t have first-hand knowledge nor do I want [to] target a specific group,” said Christensen Blair.
She explained, “I was under the impression that, as with all things online, there were people upset about the work due to the use of flags,”
After expressing concerns for the safety of Roby and other students, Christensen Blair added, that she, Roby and Rob Dickes — assistant professor of photography and digital imaging and the professor who taught the class for which the artwork was created — were not aware that Roby’s artwork was illegal on the local level.
“That said, we always encourage our students to express themselves however they would like, especially under the wonderful umbrella of the 1st Amendment of our [Constitution],” said Christensen Blair.
Roby said the entire process – from idea to installation – took nearly a month and cost her over $300. The piece consisted of over 200 flags, some cut into strands so that words could be written on them, and a soundtrack titled “Justice For All” by Donald J. Trump and the J6 Prison Choir.
Some responses included “Gullible,” “Indigenous” and “People who won’t put up with this shit.”
Roby said she had planned to take down the entire display on May 2 but took to the Facebook group to share an update: “[T]his piece has been removed, not because of the controversy, but because ICE was in my city, and I didn’t want to continue to bring a lot of attention to my school.”
The artist said she never intended to be disrespectful, but the piece was created to be a “blunt criticism of the American government.”
“What I was doing, desecrating the flag, it’s completely illegal in Indiana. Federally, it’s not,” Roby said. “But if I would have gotten arrested for that, way down the line of the law, I would have won that 100%.”
According to Freedom Forum, desecration of the American flag is a First Amendment right, as decided by the 1989 United States Supreme Court Case, Texas v. Johnson.
However, Indiana Code 35-45-1-4 strictly prohibits “knowingly or intentionally mutilating, defacing, burning, or trampling any United States flag, standard, or ensign.” The offense is a Class A misdemeanor but could be overruled in higher courts.
While she did recognize the fact that she could have been arrested just weeks before graduating, Roby said “I wouldn’t have bought 200 flags if I wasn’t trying to stir up a reaction.” She also wanted to show her audience “the division in America” to “get people talking and arguing.”
The University defended Roby’s artwork, stating:
“The University supports student expression and academic freedom, especially in the context of creative work. In this course, students were given the choice to create a book or installation, with considerable latitude in subject matter, provided it did not target individuals outside the public sphere. The work in question was presented in class and received constructive feedback focused on its accessibility. The student later chose to remove the piece voluntarily. USI remains committed to fostering open inquiry while ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all members of the campus community.”
Although the piece will not be displayed at USI again, Roby says she is putting her work back on display at the Twymon Art Gallery, located in downtown Evansville, in September. She is excited to do so because “this time if there is any super political melodrama that goes on, it won’t be directed at the University.”
The Shield also received reports that USI Public Safety had increased security around the Arts Center.
The University released a statement explaining the additional patrolling:
“USI Public Safety was made aware of the student art exhibit and that it had drawn some social media attention. The safety and security of the USI campus is always the top priority for Public Safety and, in this case, Public Safety did increase presence in the area as it always does when an event or other happening on campus is expected to draw more visitors or interest. We are not aware of any formal complaints or any incidents related to the exhibit.”