Despite win, group warns ‘normalization of child exploitation’ is a ‘growing threat in our culture’
A Christian advocacy group is praising God for “victory” after successfully working to shut down what they say is a “disturbing exhibit” at a Texas museum.
The Danbury Institute, a nonpartisan association of Evangelical churches based in Dallas, first brought attention to the “Diaries of Home” exhibit by acclaimed photographer Sally Mann at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in late December, when police removed four photographs from the museum over allegations that the exhibit promoted child pornography.
The group shared an update on Feb. 11 announcing that the photos that were seized remain in police custody as the investigation continues as a “direct result of public pressure and God’s faithfulness in answering our prayers.”
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“This is a powerful reminder that when Christians stand for truth, we can make a difference,” the statement added.
The group also warned against complacency on the part of Christians engaging with culture, adding that “the normalization of child exploitation in the name of ‘art’ is a growing threat in our culture, and we must remain vigilant.”
During its run, “Diaries of Home” showcased the work of 13 women and LGBT-identified artists, including Nan Goldin and Carrie Mae Weems, and is described as exploring “multilayered concepts of family, community, and home,” according to the museum’s website, which noted the exhibit also “features mature themes that may be sensitive for some viewers.”
While the exhibit includes work from multiple artists, it’s Mann’s photographs that have stirred public outrage.
Among the images in question are “Wet the Bed,” featuring a young, naked girl, asleep and lying in a puddle; “Popsicle Drips,” which depicts a young nude boy with liquid running down his body; and “The Perfect Tomato,” which depicts a completely naked girl jumping on a table, according to The Danbury Institute.
In an open letter dated Dec. 28, Sharayah Colter, chief communications officer at The Danbury Institute, condemned the exhibit, calling it “disturbing, exploitative and inappropriate.”
“These images are presented under the guise of art, but in reality, they sexualize children and exploit their innocence,” Colter wrote. “This exhibit should be called what it is: child pornography.”
Pointing to a museum plaque that described the exhibit as featuring children “naked, moody and in suggestive situations” in order to “evoke an edgy, dark side of childhood,” Colter said such a characterization is “morally unacceptable.”
“The exhibit as a whole effectively works to normalize pedophilia, child sexual abuse, the [LGBT] lifestyle, and the breakdown of the God-ordained definition of family,” she added.
On Jan. 8, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, among over 2,000 signatories to The Danbury Institute’s open letter, called the exhibit’s images “deeply disturbing” and urged law enforcement to take action.
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), meanwhile, condemned the police’s reported seizure of Mann’s photographs. In a statement released on Jan. 9, the organization criticized the notion that such images constitute child pornography.
“The allegation that these works are child sexual abuse material is not just disingenuous, it is deeply dangerous to the freedom of the millions of Americans who wish to document the growth of their own children without the threat of government prosecution,” the statement read. “Furthermore, it assumes the perspective of the pedophile, and degrades the seriousness of real incidents of child abuse.”
The group pushed back against allegations that naked photos of children displayed in public should automatically be considered indecent, saying any criminal “investigation can only contribute to the perverse and troubling perception that all images of naked children are inherently sexual, thereby reinforcing the very sexualization of children that critics purport to oppose.”
