By Ben Joravsky
“I don’t want to personalize the issue, but we’re very disappointed by the reaction of the law school to this,” says Nicole Been, a graduate student of art. “They haven’t even issued an official apology. It’s like they’re pretending it didn’t happen, like they’re sweeping it all under a rug.”
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
“When we graduate we get a master’s degree in fine arts, which, as you can imagine, is of limited practicality,” says Mike Dreeben, a student sculptor. “After this you can become a college or high school art teacher and continue as a practicing artist. I’m not complaining. This is what we choose to do.”
But the occasional caustic comment also was entered in the book, such as “Bring back the dead white guys!” and “You have not seen anything yet”–a disturbing prophecy of what was to come.
After that the damage piled up. The resin sheet running the length of Noelle DeLage’s Viewing Shelter, a box made of natural materials, was found dangling. The artist suspected foul play. Someone trampled squares of wax that hang from Andernach’s sculpture and rest on the floor. After two other reports of damage, all 16 artists asked the curators to convey their outrage to Baird. They hoped for a forceful response–a call for free expression, a vow not to be intimidated, a pledge to see the show through to the end of its run, even if this meant paying for security guards out of the law students’ happy hour funds. Alas, Baird issued no calls, vows, or pledges. He agreed only to post a guard for ten days (he said there was no money for a longer stay). With the guard present, the damage stopped. After the guard left on March 7, the art students took down their work. “We didn’t want our work to be damaged,” says Been. “We had no guarantee it would be safe.”
According to one theory, the conservative students felt the exhibition invaded their sanctuary, much as MacKinnon’s appointment would. “I guess they just couldn’t control themselves,” says Mark Weinberg, a law school graduate. “This was just their way of saying ‘Oh, no, not in our house.’ Hey, it’s more convincing than that line about them accidentally stumbling over the stuff.”
The Hanna Gray painting was discovered a few weeks later, but campus police insist their search for the thief will never cease. Mark Clarson can’t contain a rueful smile when he considers the contrast between then and now. “They really sent out the cavalry for Hanna,” he says. “But for us, nothing. I guess we’re learning our place in this world.” o
