Chie Davis

@chieone

The Louisville Anti-Racist Action group aims to do what its name suggests — prevent the spread of hate locally. But when members pointed fingers at Tim Faulkner Gallery for hosting an exhibit with swastikas, the Portland business struck back, saying that their claims were unfounded.

Eventually, though, the controversial exhibit came down.

Here’s what happened:

On Thursday, Louisville Anti-Racist Action posted a press release to its Facebook 3,200 followers claiming that Kevin Caster’s show at the Tim Faulkner Gallery, “Will the Goyim’s Children Curse ‘Em?” encouraged white supremacy by featuring Neo-Nazi themed art. Five images from the 139-piece show were called into question.

Responses ranged from disappointment in the gallery’s choice to feeling compassion about artistic expression. “Well, the gallery is hosting a fundraiser for refugees at this very moment so perhaps it honestly is inadvertent. Disappointing and poorly thought out, but not necessarily complicit,” a commenter said.

Tim Faulkner, the owner of the gallery, told the Courier-Journal that the gallery removed the five pieces when Louisville Anti-Racist Action inquired about them. The gallery spoke with Caster to gather more details about the work.

The gallery initially stood firmly behind its longtime resident artist, posting a lengthy 944-word explanation on Facebook. This included an emphasis on its diverse gallery offerings, saying that they “actually know Kevin,” and in the five years of working with him, never saw “a single indication of hate or bigotry from him.”

The gallery supported Caster’s creative license and discussed the “small” swastika-branded pieces before the exhibit opened. “He came to us and said, ‘There are swastika-related images in the show. Do you think people will take this the wrong way?’ and I said 'No. If they look at the show objectively, I don’t think they will.'" The gallery added in its Facebook post that, “It’s funny, not once has it been mentioned that there is also a drawing of the Dalai Lama as part of the show.”

Many of Tim Faulkner’s 7,093 followers chimed in on the gallery's Facebook page with a mix of praise and anger.

And in less than 24 hours after its supportive post, the Tim Faulkner Gallery changed its tune – issuing a shorter statement that was in sharp contrast to its first:

“Hate is not to be tolerated here at Tim Faulkner Gallery. Therefore, the gallery has made the decision to remove Kevin Caster’s art show, and Kevin has made the decision not to renew his studio lease at the end of this month.”

The gallery made sure to mention that they were not “cowering to the bullying tactics demonstrated by the Louisville ARA,” but many of their Facebook supporters blasted their approach. “Playing the victim when you aren't a target of racist violence is in really poor taste and reeks of white fragility. Thanks for finally standing up to the Nazis and refusing them a platform, but comparing people who stand up to hatred as hateful just when you are being implicated as complicit is laughable. A little humility goes a long way,” one person wrote.

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