The top of the Frick Pittsburgh apologized Thursday for the best way she dealt with the postponement of an exhibition of Islamic artwork, which had been scheduled to open this month earlier than museum leaders determined to delay it due to the Israel-Hamas battle.
In an apology posted on the museum’s web site, Elizabeth Barker, the museum’s government director, acknowledged that the museum had not initially been forthcoming about its resolution to delay the exhibition, “Treasured Decoration: 10 Centuries of Islamic Artwork,” and apologized for inflicting offense when she later tried to elucidate the choice.
“There aren’t any excuses for what I mentioned, no matter my intentions,” Ms. Barker mentioned within the assertion. “My phrases gave the offensive and completely mistaken impression that I equated Islam with terrorism and that I noticed Jews and Muslims — communities with millennia of peaceable interconnection — as basically opposed.”
The museum initially made no announcement about its resolution to not open the present, saying on its web site solely that the delay was on account of “a scheduling battle.” Ms. Barker later instructed the instructed The Tribune-Assessment that it was a present “{that a} forgiving individual would name insensitive, however for many individuals, particularly in our neighborhood, could be traumatic.” Her feedback had been denounced by native Muslim and Jewish teams, who mentioned that they perpetuated dangerous stereotypes linking Islamic artwork to terrorism or antisemitism.
“My failure to inform it straight from the start undermined belief in our group and had the impact of retraumatizing individuals,” Barker wrote within the letter. “Right this moment, I need to make public my and the Frick’s dedication to carry ourselves accountable to restore the relationships we broken and earn again the belief we’ve misplaced.”
The exhibition was set to characteristic work, metalwork and glassware made by artists of various faiths working within the Islamic world, in accordance with students who studied the included artifacts.
Within the aftermath of the controversy over the postponement, leaders from the Frick Pittsburgh met with totally different cultural teams, together with the town’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Christine Mohamed, the chapter’s government director, mentioned that the group appreciated the sincerity of the Frick Pittsburgh’s apology and their dedication to accountability.
“We consider within the energy of open dialogue to bridge gaps and construct stronger neighborhood bonds,” she mentioned in an announcement.
The museum has rescheduled the exhibition to open in August 2024. The postponed exhibition was organized by the nonprofit Worldwide Arts and Artists, which created it on behalf of the Huntington Museum of Artwork in West Virginia.
In her apology, Barker mentioned that she had been humbled by talking with individuals concerning the controversy, “together with leaders in our area’s Muslim neighborhood, who’ve reframed this second as a possibility for us to be taught and develop.”