Conservative Pushback Prompts Publicly Funded Tennessee University To Require Signing Waivers To View Controversial Art

Image Credit: East Tennessee State University & Canva

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

East Tennessee State University will now require guests to sign a waiver to view a controversial art exhibit after coming under fire from elected officials and students.

The annual Fletcher Exhibit invites artists to submit pieces addressing “global issues.” This year’s exhibit at ETSU’s Reece Museum features “artwork” that equates Nazi swastikas with Christian crosses and likens conservatives and Christians to Adolph Hitler.

According to Campus Reform, one of the more controversial pieces features a likeness of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Behind Johnson is a background of Nazi swastikas that are changing into Christian crosses. Titled “Evolution” by creator Joel Gibbs, the piece showcases his political opinion that there is a correlation between “right-wing” Christian groups and fascism.

Brian Noland, ETSU’s President, said in a statement that he personally finds some of the views being expressed in the exhibit “abhorrent.” 

Noland stated that he is the son of a veteran and a Christian himself, and is well aware of the public backlash regarding this year’s exhibit, but as the president of a public university, he must ensure that ETSU follows state law as well as the constitution of the United States.

The university has since established guidelines for viewing the artwork, requiring attendees to sign a waiver before they can access the exhibit. Additionally, they have put up signs that warn potential viewers of the controversial content included in the exhibit.

In response, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is asking ETSU to remove the policy requiring visitors to view the art, stating that it could keep people from being comfortable with attending and would prevent them from seeing the exhibit.

Aaron Corpora, FIRE Program Officer, explained, “This requirement places an unprecedented burden on the public’s ability to anonymously enjoy art. In turn, this threatens to turn away potential viewers who may otherwise want to engage with protected works of art. Given the controversy over the exhibit, people who prefer not to alert bureaucrats to their personal activities are not going to put their names down on a list of attendees – and certainly not with lawmakers, ETSU officials, and the public up in arms about the exhibit.”