The Virginian-Pilot
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Nancy "Beth" Reid, the teen artist whose nude self-portrait was denied top prize in an art contest, will be given $1,000 in a private ceremony today at Churchland High School in Portsmouth.
Beth, 17, was the first top winner chosen for The Virginian-Pilot Student Gallery, which is open to any high school junior or senior in the region. Her work was rejected for first place by the newspaper's publisher, Bruce Bradley. He deemed the work "inappropriate" for the show because it is a nude image of a minor.
A similar private award will go to Jasmine Childs of Chesapeake. She was the top choice of a second judge, but her sculpture of a nude torso also was rejected by Bradley. The final winner, Erin Ayres of Arcadia High School on the Eastern Shore, was named April 1.
Ann Dearsley-Vernon, one of two art lovers who started the fund drive to replace Beth's cash prize, said on Monday that Beth will be handed a check in her school. The $1,000 for Beth was donated Saturday by Acoustical Sheetmetal Inc., of Virginia Beach. Petra Snowden, the firm's president, said she plans to accompany Dearsley-Vernon to the school.
"I'm just baffled by what motivated this choice," Snowden said of the publisher's decision. As of Monday, Dearsley-Vernon and Shelley Brooks of Portsmouth had raised about $1,700. Dearsley-Vernon said she was making arrangements for a ceremony for Jasmine, 17, who is a senior at Oscar Smith High School.
"I am confident that by tomorrow, after the mail comes, I'll have $2,000," Dearsley-Vernon said Monday.
Snowden is on the board of trustees at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia in Virginia Beach, where art by this year's 30 honorees, or runners-up, from Student Gallery will be displayed today through May 2.
Work by the 62 finalists, including the art in question, is on view through April 18 at the Chrysler Museum of Art.
Teresa Annas, (757) 446-2485, teresa.annas@pilotonline.com
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the painting
The Daily Press has now published the painting and posted it on their website, and now that I've seen it, I'm more convinced than ever that Bruce Brdley made the wrong call. First off, it's a beautiful painting. And second of all, taken in the context of an art show at a respected museum like the Chrysler, there is nothing wrong with the painting. It's a provocative painting by a talented 17-year-old, but there's nothing smutty or inappropriate about it.
Teen Artists
Perhaps it is time for Bruce Bradley to visit an Art Museum. Any large city will do. Art is art. It does not need to be redefined by Bruce Bradley. I moved to this state over 30 years ago. I come from a very conservative, midwestern community - St. Louis, but darn it, this is ridiculous! Welcome to the Dark Ages.
Fears of Child Pornography
While Beth's nude self-portrait probably doesn't violate child pornography laws, there are certainly plenty of people who would accuse the newspaper of child pornography for publishing or promoting the nude image of a minor. Newspapers already operate financially on the edge; becoming the target of a campaign to shut them down for "child pornography" would probably succeed. One should never underestimate how hysterical such things can make some segments of the public. Jasmine's sculpture, which combines nudity and pregnancy AND (implicitly) high school students, would almost certainly have elicited a similar response.
I don't blame Bradley for rejecting these two as winners, since I can see things from his point of view. As publisher, he can't let an art contest jeopardize the newspapers he oversees; he would get fired for that. I don't know how many times this issue has come up in the 36 years of the contest, but there'll probably be changes in the rules for next year.
It is a shame, really. Both girls' work shows an interest and willingness to explore issues of body image, which many teenage girls find themselves conflicted about.
Timing
It sounds like there were no rules as to what could be submitted. If Mr. Bradley had looked at all the entries before the judging and determined that the 2 pieces be excluded is one thing, but he disallowed them AFTER they had been judged to be the best and second best pieces in the contest. This is tampering/fixing/rigging the contest. I am glad these 2 young ladies are getting the prize money and the (unofficial) recognition they deserve. I also feel sorry for the young artist that official won to find out that they actually came in third place.
There's no excuse not to see this exhibit!
The Chrysler Museum is free to all students everyday it is open - for non students the Museum is free on Wednesdays and is open until 9 PM for all.
Also Wednesdays, For wednesday patrons there is a wine-soda and cheese bar in addition to the free musical performances occurring for all to enjoy in Huber Court. The Student Gallery Finalist Exhibit is just beyond Huber court on the first floor. I hope to see many, if not all of you and your friends at the Chrysler museum when ever it is open and especially during the student gallery exhibition. It's Free Admission Wednesdays and every day for students and it's always Free Parking!
Awesome job, ladies!
....and for crying out loud, Virginia, grow up!!!
Wow
I'm really glad these two young ladies are getting the prizes that they earned. The Pilot wants to sponsor an art show, but apparently they want it to be Crayola drawings of trees.
It cracks me up to see people posting about this story and saying the Pilot is correct to "protect the children." Protect them from what? Truly amazing the way some people can think.
Kudos, at least, to the Pilot for having the decency to write about this story. They know it makes them look like buffoons, but at least they're not trying to cover it up.
Kudos
I would like to congratulate the two young artists.
I would like to thank the donors who ensured that these two young women received the reward they earned.
And I would like to thank Mr. Bradley. Your decision has boosted attendance to the show and brought more attention to these two young women and the Student Gallery than ten newspaper ads.
Once again, religious and social conservatives have attempted to force their narrow-minded morality on everyone and failed.
Artists
I noticed both of you will soon be voting age.. If either of you ever become a political cartoonist, please make fun of the Democrats. Politically, they are the most worthy subject matter to make sport of. G'Morning VP Democrats..lol
C.B.
"This is from someone that only buys the VP to keep abreast of my loathsome liberal ninnies."
I'm sure the VP appreciates your money, but there never has been an article about "liberal ninnies", but many on tight ars republicans.