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Student's Art Censored At School

A painting entered into the Lakewood High School Senior Art Show was causing controversy on Tuesday. The show is scheduled for Wednesday, but the painting wasn't on display Tuesday afternoon. That's because school officials took it down while school was in session, ONN's Cristin Severance reported.

"I'm kind of hurt by it," said Tricia Olszewski, mother of the art student. "I think she's a great artist and she's being held back."

Olszewski's daughter created a painting of a nude woman sitting in front of a wall of words.
At first, Olszewski thought her daughter was out of the senior art show completely. She worried that she would lose out on scholarship money, which students have the opportunity to win from the show.
The school's principal, Dr. Bill Wagner, said the painting is still in the running. He said it was only removed during the school day.

The painting was taken down because it was causing a disruption.
Wagner said the maturity level of high school students is not always the same as people attending an art show.

"When you're doing a classroom thing, and it's in school, and you're told to do whatever you have to do. Why does it have to be censored," Olszewski wondered.

Other parents of Lakewood High School students said they can see where the school is coming from.
"I think it's beautiful, artistic, but I don't think every student needs to see it," said one mother. "Unless they know what they are walking into."

Olszewski is relieved her daughter's painting is in the show. She thinks in the end, the high school senior learned a valuable life lesson.

"Just of how, the whole society is censoring still. Whatever happened to free speech?" Olszewski said. "She is 18 and needs to push the envelope and figure out what else they are going to stop her from doing."

The Senior Art Show is Wednesday night at Lakewood High School.

Source

Posted in: News on June 10, 2010 @ 5:36 PM

Tags: Censorship, School

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