Name: The Story of Colors / La Historia de los Colores: A Bilingual Storybook from the Jungles of Chiapas

Date: 1995 - present

Location: North America

SubjectOther

MediumLiterature


Artist: Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, author/ Cinco Puntos Press

Confronting Bodies: William J. Ivey, Chief of the National Endowment for the Arts

Date of Action: March 9,1999

Specific Location: National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C.

Description of Artwork: The Story of Colors is a Mexican folk tale for children. It is based on a Mayan creation myth that addresses diversity and tolerance.

Description of Incident: The Lannan Foundation-the same organization that stepped forward to fund the Mapplethorpe exhibition after it too had lost funding-promptly offered to reimburse Cinco Puntos Press for the money lost and continued to doubled it. The story made the major papers across the nation, and it also became big news in Mexico. Additionally, freedom of expression groups collaborated on a letter urging Ivey to reconsider his decision.

Results of Incident

Source: Cinco Puntos Press 1999, NCAC

Submitted By


Return to Main Category Page | Table of Contents