Records show UT Austin leaders concerned about ‘activities’ around anti-fascist art show

University of Texas at Austin records released after an Urgent Matter investigation show the dean of the College of Fine Arts was concerned about possible “attendant actions or activities” around an anti-fascist student art exhibition days before it opened.

The details emerged in an April 14-15 email exchange between Susan W. Rather—the chair of the Department of Art and Art History—and Hannah J. Spector, the faculty sponsor of an exhibition titled “Contemporary Art Under Fascism.”

The show was curated by undergraduate artist Scott Cobb and ultimately went on view April 17-18 in the university’s art building, with limitations.

The emails began three days before the show was set to open and were released in response to a follow-up public records request after Urgent Matter reported that UT officials had scrutinized the show for compliance with university policies, outside participation and whether it could “strike a chord with the wrong party.”

Paid subscribers can read the full documents.

Records: UT Austin follow-up emails on anti-fascist art show

Records released by UT Austin under the Texas Public Information Act.

Urgent MatterAdam Schrader

Rather first asked Spector whether she had “any updates to share” about the exhibition. Spector responded that “nothing has changed” after meeting with her in her office a couple of weeks earlier.

“There will be content warnings,” Spector said, adding she had reviewed the works with another person whose name was redacted. “The most explicit work is from our own grad student and is a nude. This work has been shown in multiple critiques, and I’ve seen it in the space before.”

Spector then asked Rather if instructions or specifications about the show had changed. Rather said Ramón H. Rivera-Servera, dean of the College of Fine Arts, had asked about the show.

“He may be more concerned about any attendant actions or activities than work in the show,” Rather told Spector. “I assume you think there’s nothing to be concerned about?”

Spector responded: “I do not feel concern, but if you and the dean feel concerned, I’d like to be informed about protocols you two are expecting me to put in place.”

By the time of those emails, the exhibition had already been discussed internally over whether it could “negatively impact the department.”

The new records add detail about how administrators continued to monitor the show immediately before it opened and confirm that the university’s review changed the terms under which it proceeded.

An April 24 text message from Rivera-Servera to Timothy J. Creswick—the director of faculty advancement—was included in the newly produced documents.

Rivera-Servera said “the legal review by central is AC privileged,” an apparent reference to attorney-client privilege covering a central university legal review, and that “none of this resulted in the cancellation of this exhibition.”

“But it did result in adjustment to the parameters of participation to restrict to UT affiliates only and to prohibit exchange of funds/price,” Rivera-Servera said. “I have nothing else.”

That account confirms key parts of Cobb’s earlier comments to Urgent Matter. Cobb said the exhibition “did not happen as I wanted it to” because of rules placed on the show. He said he was not allowed to include artists from other universities or recent UT Studio Art alumni.

Cobb, a non-traditional student, also said in a note published on his website that he had wanted to offer cash awards but was told the awards would “incentivize political speech.”

Before the show went up, Cobb publicly framed the exhibition as a test of whether universities would tolerate political artistic expression after the University of North Texas canceled an exhibition by Brooklyn artist Victor Quiñonez, also known as Marka27, that included artworks critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Text messages between University of North Texas leaders obtained by Urgent Matter showed that administrators worried about “barking from Austin” over that exhibition.

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