Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology - uncopy

Try and imagine Rockefeller and his staff of experts quaintly constructing a history of
American art from the complacent viewpoint of the power elite. What this show is not is Three
centuries of American art; it is, however, a blatant example of a large cultural institution writing
the history of American art as though the last decade of cultural and social reassessment had
never taken place.
We, the undersigned, strongly object to the collusion of the De Young and Whitney Museums
and John D. Rockefeller III in using a private collection of art, with its discriminatory
omissions, to promote upper class values and a socially reactionary view of American art
history.
Several of us met on 5 December with Tom Armstrong,director of the Whitney,to discuss
our objections to this show. We stressed that such a celebration of exploitation and acquisition
was hardly an appropriate homage to our long-buried revolution. Mr. Armstrong instinctively
resorted to bureaucratic diversionary tactics,stated “I’m not willing to go into a dialogue with
you or your groups,” and left us completely unsatisfied. On 8 December, a larger art community
meeting was called to discuss possible actions against the Whitney and other museums and cultural
institutions around the nation which are using the Bicentennial to reinforce the values,
taste,prestige and power of the ruling class . . .
We will be picketing the Whitney on 3 January 1976at 2.00 p.m. Additional strategies
to be employed in the next year include: picketing to coincide with key American history holidays,
alternative street exhibitions and an alternative catalogue,a slide show for education purposes
and letters to Congresspersons. This letter is the first step in setting up a national network to
protest such misuse of art and artists for the Bicentennial—and afterwards.
Ad Hoc Women Artists Committee, Art & Language, Art Worker’s News, Artists &
Writers Protest, Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, Creative Women’s Collective, The
Fox, Guerrilla Art Action Group, WEB, Women in the Arts, Women’s Art Registry.
Carl Andre, Benny Andrews, Rudolf Baranik, Arnold Belkin, Karl Beveridge, Camille
Billops, Willie Birch, Vivian Browne, Ian Burn, Sarah Charlesworth, Michael Chisholm,
Carole Conde, Michael Corris, Peter Frank, Leon Golub, Hans Haacke, Suzanne Harris,
Alex Hay, Preston Heller, Elizabeth Hess, Jene Highstein, Leandro Katz, Joseph Kosuth,
Nigel Lendon, Sol LeWitt, Lucy Lippard, Andrew Menard, Irving Petlin, Mel Ramsden,
Ginny Reath, Miriam Schapiro, Joan Semmel, Jackie Skiles, Pat Steir, May Stevens,
Mayo Thompson.
michael corris inside a new york art gang 475