In 2019, the New Mexico Museum of Art and New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs censored the Greater Chaco Art Zine Imbalance from the exhibition Social & Sublime: Land, Place, and Art. The artists were never informed. Instead, several boxes of these disappeared art zines were found on a streetside utility box by a city resident who then contacted the artists. This prompted the artists to undertake months of investigation, navigating misinformation from New Mexico state officials, and ultimately submitting a legal request for documents under the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). From this came some of the truth: that the art zine was censored for being “too political,” that “all the poetry in the zine relates to what would unmistakenly be interpreted as political commentary to stop fracking,” and because officials claimed this represented “private interests” hence it was in violation to Governmental Conduct Act Section 10-1603.1 NMSA 1978.
Ever since this censorship was discovered, artists and project facilitators Asha Canalos and Jeanette Hart-Mann, along with zine artists and community partners, have been investigating, taking a stand against, and bringing greater awareness to this issue.
A complete description of what happened, a link to our petition, public statements and quotes, and collated Inspection of Public Records Act documents can be found on this website. We encourage you to sign our petition demanding the New Mexico Museum of Art and New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs adopt a formal policy affirming artistic freedom. This policy should make it abundantly clear that the museum is not endorsing specific political opinions by exhibiting “political” artwork. Additionally, the policy should expressly include the right of artists to voice social, political, and environmental opinions without fear or risk of being silenced.
