The Museum of New Mexico held its ground last week, fighting off the latest wave of protests over Alma L¢pez’s “Our Lady,” which is a digital rendition of the Virgin of Guadalupe dressed in a flowered bikini.
Museum director Thomas Wilson said that the museum will continue exhibiting “Our Lady.” In a five-page document, Wilson upheld the findings of the Museum of New Mexico Committee on Sensitive Materials, in response to the requests from JosÇ L. Villegas and Deacon Anthony Trujillo to remove the image from the exhibit.
Wilson wrote that the requests failed to state any compelling grounds to museum’s decision.
“Nowhere in your appeal do you recognize the rights of all points of views to be heard, the hallmark of a free and democratic society,” Wilson said. “Nor do their requests address the importance of the Museum as a place to present changing ideas and concepts.”
Protestors were not satisfied with the museum’s original decision and have fought to see the piece removed, labeling it sacrilegious and a disgrace. They fail to recognize that by silencing the expression of others they disagree with, they open the door to the censorship of their own faith.
Wilson is correct to defend the right to display a variety of images from a variety of viewpoints in a public museum.
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I respect the reverence many in New Mexico feel toward an icon that embodies their faith. I understand that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is a sacred icon that has fueled religious and political revolutions for centuries.
At the same time, she is our lady. She belongs to all of us. The reason why she was so revered and is such a powerful symbol is because she represented all of us. She was the indigenous mother who was a source of strength.
Chicano artists have depicted the Virgin of Guadalupe in a variety of ways for at least 40 years. She has appeared in mosaics, vibrant colors, murals and tattoos. The Catholic Church and it parishioners do not hold exclusive rights to the virgin.
We must learn to share our icons and learn to celebrate our differences rather than allowing them to further divide us. Protestors should put down their picket signs and channel their anger toward creating new art that honors the Virgin of Guadalupe they so clearly love.
-Iliana Lim¢n
Editor in chief
