The tepid apology offered by the Northampton Arts Council regarding their cancellation of their past Biennial Show was just as spineless and evasive as the actual abrupt cancellation.
The way the apology minimalized the council’s reactionary weaknesses and blatant censorship of expression just seemed politically convenient and evasive. Their clear cancel culture action is ironic in its similarity to the current events in Florida over ‘cancelling’ the ‘pornographic’ David statue. In both cases the administrative boards immediately caved to the complaints of one vocal individual as the board blindly followed some overblown political ideology and the heavy handed response hurts everyone else involved. Now the minority intimidating the majority is not how democracy is supposed to work. One angry person can be listened to, but there is no need to derail the train. Ultimately there is no way to accommodate all, especially if you start to engage in politics, that is just the reality of it. There is always someone who will be dissatisfied and that’s OK … the group can still move on and benefit. Instead we get absurd overreaction.
Meanwhile the classic phrase ‘majority rules’ is now out the window since one individual now can be vengeful, dictate policy, and bask their “power” over the world — at a cost to others. In the end, the NAC did a big, self-righteous disservice to the community which that show fairly represented and censored its content overruling its own “diversely” selected jury and the NAC has lost its credibility.
Steven Pistrich
South Deerfield