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SARAH E. WORTH The Ethics of Exhibitions: On the Presentation of Religious Art Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jaac/article/62/3/277/5957576 by guest on 29 September 2021 Typically, in the presentation of art, those who objections to certain ways of presenting art that present the art want those who see it to see it in one owns. Whether one fails to meet an ethical a particular way. That a presenter would like to obligation will, of course, be determined by influence how viewers see the art is especially what sort of ethical maxim is used, but I think likely when the presenter also owns the art in that this art museum, with its interestingly com- question. In such cases, questions arise as to plex set of issues that crosses over and back whether there is any sort of moral or aesthetic between ethics and aesthetics, will not easily obligation to present art in such a way that it lend itself to a straightforward ethical or aes- endorses the content of the art itself, is respect- thetic assessment. ful of the intentions of the artist, or whether owners have carte blanche to present their art in any way they see fit. My ultimate concern here I. THE MUSEUM: A CASE STUDY is whether one has different kinds of moral obli- gations toward art and its presentation than one Bob Jones University is a conservative, nonde- does toward other kinds of things that one nominational Christian educational complex in owns. Using the Bob Jones University Museum Greenville, South Carolina. It includes not only and Gallery and its collection of religious art as educational instruction for kindergarten through a case study, I will explore some issues sur- grade twelve, an undergraduate college, and a rounding the Museum’s presentation of the graduate school, but also its own press, a radio works in its collection in an attempt to deter- station, and a video production studio. It has mine whether there is a legitimate argument to made a name for itself in the national news over be made for the existence of special moral obli- the past several years for a number of political gations with regard to the presentation of art positions it has held, its restrictions on interra- that one owns. cial dating, and several other political and reli- In what follows, I identify certain moral con- giously charged issues. cerns and obligations that might be thought to The Bob Jones University Museum and hold in relation to the art that one owns. I argue Gallery opened in 1951 and moved to its current that because of the negative message that the location in 1965. When the Museum began to Museum provides about the content of the art- receive funding from Greenville County it had works it presents, it falls short of an ideal ethi- to adopt different rules than those of the larger cal standard that one might hold with respect to university. The Museum is the only part of the the ownership and presentation of art. There is University complex that receives public money, no real legal question about whether or not this and hence is subject to some public standards. particular institution can own and present this That the rest of the University does not accept particular collection of artworks. My concern is this money allows it not to have to abide by rather whether there are legitimate ethical federal law, which is required by institutions The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 62:3 Summer 2004 278 The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism accepting federal money. This is why the insti- “blindness in a spiritually dark period in history tution remains academically unaccredited. and of the chosen way of error deliberately Thus, the institutionally prescribed rules for the taught by the Roman Catholic Church.”3 The Museum have come to be slightly different brochure also claims that the art fosters break- from the general rules of the University, and ing the Second Commandment against worship- University rules and practices have also ping idols, which they claim Catholics do by changed as a result. For instance, when the worshipping Mary generally as well as in a Museum began accepting public money, the wide array of other religious practices. campus began to allow homosexuals on cam- Each room of the Museum contains any- Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jaac/article/62/3/277/5957576 by guest on 29 September 2021 pus. The rule prohibiting their access had previ- where from five to twenty-five paintings and ously been strictly enforced for both students artifacts. None of the paintings or artifacts has a and visitors. In addition, the University must label, identifying mark, or descriptive panel. also now allow women wearing slacks on cam- The artworks stand isolated from any informa- pus, but only if the women go directly to the tion that would influence or educate an Museum. Women wearing slacks found wan- observer. There are no maps or directions dering elsewhere on campus are asked to leave. printed on any of the free brochures. A map of For a final example, only recently have African- the gallery is printed in the one brochure avail- American students been allowed to attend Bob able for purchase. This brochure provides the Jones University, and although until very only listing of the artists represented in each recently there were strict rules against interra- room. Curiously, although artists are discussed cial dating (the punishment for which was by room, there is no clear indication which expulsion), these rules have currently been pub- paintings or artifacts belong to which artist. licly rescinded because of some surrounding Once the visitor is in the maze of the gallery, it controversy. is relatively difficult to orient oneself. Contrib- Except for the public money that goes to the uting to this effect is the fact that the whole Museum, the University claims that it is sup- Museum is dimly lit, more like a church than a ported entirely by the grace of God. In the Uni- place to really see artworks. The exhibits seem versity’s general welcome brochure, Bob Jones to be haphazardly put together, with no discern- III, the President of the University, writes that: ible connections among the art or artifacts within or between rooms. All one observes is This school is the work of the Lord God, and it exists the art on its own, without any context whatso- against all human odds. We don’t accept federal ever, unless one chooses to consult the literature money, so nobody can give the government credit. available at the front door.4 There are no denominational ties, so no organization The brochure available upon entering the gets the credit. There are no foundations or large reg- Museum is a short instructional manual titled ular donors, so no man gets the credit…God brought On Looking at Old Master Paintings. It the University into existence in 1927—and sustains it describes the proper religious attitude one until this hour. What is more, the campus is debt-free should take while viewing the collection. The by the grace of God.1 brochure claims that: The Museum claims it houses the largest we must remember that up until the sixteenth cen- collection of religious art in the Western tury, all religious art in Europe was “Catholic” art. Hemisphere. It houses over 400 paintings and Some paintings produced during this time do not rep- religious icons and artifacts in thirty galleries, resent truth as the Bible sets it forth. They do not displaying Italian, Spanish, French, English, always depict Bible events but, perhaps more often, Flemish, Dutch, and German sacred art from the scenes based upon legends of the saints, so-called thirteenth through the nineteenth century, as “miracles”—unsubstantiated, traditional, not biblical. well as a roomful of Russian icons.2 Yet, most of its art is Roman Catholic. The Museum It claims further that: presents its collection with the message that Roman Catholicism intentionally misinterprets The general tendency in Catholic art is to depict biblical scripture, and that its art displays a Christ as helpless and under human control. Only a Worth The Ethics of Exhibitions: On the Presentation of Religious Art 279 relatively small proportion of Old Masters show Church during the centuries covered by the Christ as the Miracle Worker, the denouncer of collection, it is not surprising to find that the hypocrisy and pretense, the risen Savior, the Judge of subjects portrayed are sometimes not those of the World. He is more often represented as the Child the infallible Word of God, but rather Mariol- in His mother’s arms, dependent upon her care or as a ogy, the cults of saints, monastic legends, and dead man on the cross or being anointed for burial similar themes.”6 I would not go so far as to and placed in the tomb. He is, as it were, an object say that the collection was purposefully under man’s control—not the God of glory to Whom acquired in order to show explicitly how the man’s nature should be brought into subjection. Per- Catholic Church gets it wrong, but the art is Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jaac/article/62/3/277/5957576 by guest on 29 September 2021 haps this is to be expected in light of the [Catholic] clearly used in such a way as to show the Mass. alleged doctrinal errors of the Catholic Church, a position supported in the literature The brochure concludes with the following that describes the collection.

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