Christian campaign shuts down Museum of Modern Art show. Warrant executed against museum. Art "secured" as evidence. Many updates!
There is a previous background report on what happened. I am starting a new report with the shutdown of the art show.
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All links, when possible are saved at the Internet Archive. https://web.archive.org/
First the the drag shows, and then the museums.
This will be updated as things develop.
Dallas Morning News, Feb. 6, 2025, “Photos of nude children at Fort Worth museum raise uncomfortable questions.”
Subtitle:
Sally Mann exhibit points to a larger concern about the sexualization of kids.
Article criticizes the exhibit.
ARTnews, Jan 6, 2025, “Texas Officials File Complaint Over Controversial Sally Mann Photographs.”
ArtForum, national magazine, Jan. 7, 2025, “SALLY MANN PHOTOS SEIZED FROM TEXAS MUSEUM FOLLOWING OFFICIAL COMPLAINT.”
This is now national news with anyone interested in art.
Glasstire, Jan. 7, 2025, “Photographs Removed from Exhibition Following Police Report Filed Against the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.”
PetaPixel, Jan. 7, 2025, “Texas Police ‘Seize Photographs’ From Sally Mann Exhibition.”
Artnet, Jan. 8, 2025, “Sally Mann Photos Reportedly Seized From Texas Museum Exhibition.”
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sally-mann-photos-seized-fort-worth-museum-2595888
Artnews, Jan. 8, 2025, “Sally Mann Photographs Removed from Texas Museum Exhibition after Outcry.”
ArtReview, Jan. 8, 2025, “Sally Mann photographs seized by Texas authorities.”
https://artreview.com/sally-mann-photographs-seized-by-fort-worth-police/
National Coalition Against Censorship, Jan. 9, 2025, “NCAC Decries Art Censorship at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.”
https://ncac.org/news/ncac-decries-artistic-censorship-at-the-modern-art-museum-of-fort-worth
KERA, Jan. 9, 2025, “Photos removed from Fort Worth museum as police investigate child pornography allegations.”
Dallas Morning News, Jan. 9, 2025, “Photos removed from Fort Worth museum as police investigate child pornography allegations.”
They finally broke down and reported it.
Fort Worth Report, Jan. 9, 2025, “Photos removed from Fort Worth museum as police investigate child pornography allegations.”
Lonestart left has a good background on the artist Sally Mann.
Click on the image.
Warrent issued and executive and art was “secured” as evidence and not available for viewing.
Dallas Express, Jan. 6, 2025, “Warrant Issued For Child Pornography Images At The Modern Art Museum Of Fort Worth,” by Carlos Turcios.
The Dallas Express has been notified that a warrant has been issued and executed regarding child pornography images at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
The images have been secured as potential evidence and will not be visible to the public while the investigation is pending.
They are targeting the corporate donors of the museum.
Dallas Express, Jan 6, 2025, “Are Major Companies Funding Child Pornography At The Modern Art Museum Of Fort Worth?,” by Carlos Turcios.
Corporations that donate to the museum include Bank of America, Baylor Scott & White All Saints, Bloomberg, BNSF Railway Foundation, ExxonMobil Foundation, Fort Worth Child, and GM Financial, to name a few.
In the article there is a link to the list of sponsors.
https://www.themodern.org/sponsors
UPDATE: They are now going after the Fort Worth Tourist support for the museum.
Dallas Express, “Jan. 8, 2024, “Is Taxpayer Money Promoting Child Porn At Fort Worth Museum?”
Tourism to Fort Worth and Texas may well decline considerably.
Visit Fort Worth is a non-profit entity, 501(c)(6), contracted with the City of Fort Worth to promote tourism.
According to documents obtained by The Dallas Express via a Freedom of Information Act request, the non-profit received $18,313,997 from the city’s Public Events, Culture & Tourism account.
https://dallasexpress.com/tarrant/is-taxpayer-money-promoting-child-porn-at-fort-worth-museum/
UPDATE: They are now attacking Sally Mann.
Dallas Express, Jan. 9, 2025, “Inside The Vexing Past Of Photographer Behind The Fort Worth Modern Art Museum’s Offensive Exhibit.”
https://dallasexpress.com/tarrant/modern-art-museum-exhibition-photographers-controversial-past/
Background on the campaign against the Museum of Modern Art of Fort Worth.
I have been tracking from the beginning when the Dallas Express started the campaign from when the first initial attack by the Dallas Express was launched to groups joining in the attack to the filing of the police report with the City of Fort Worth. Now that a warrent has been served, this post won’t be updated, and updates will be added to todays post.
This post has six updates.
This is a Christian attack on the Museum. Don’t let it be understood as otherwise.
The campaign has been led by the Dallas Express with reporting by Carlos Turcios and picked up by the Christian organization Danbury Institute and the Central Baptist Leadership.
Carlos Turcios website.
His slogan is “Jesus is King.”
https://www.facebook.com/carlos.turcios.56232938/
After they started this campaign going, other Christian groups joined in. The Danbury Institute started a petition.
https://www.danburyinstitute.org/
https://www.danburyinstitute.org/museum
https://www.danburyinstitute.org/_files/ugd/1f553d_0232263267924867b2b57e8fd3400f6e.pdf
https://x.com/DanburyInst/status/1873139467235598348
The Dallas Express and the Danbury Isntitute worked together.
https://x.com/DanburyInst/status/1876365395868922225
The Danbury Institute is feeling very triumphant about this.
https://x.com/DanburyInst/status/1876666949842706691
Center for Baptist Leadership got involved supporting the Danbury Institutes petition.
https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/
https://x.com/BaptistLeaders/status/1873787256747528341
The Dallas Express and Carolos Turcios first came for the drag shows and shut most of them down.
They then started campaigning against Pride events, but evidently have found museums to be vulnerable.
Now they are going after museums.
News coverage.
I will update this as news coverage happens.
ARTnews, Jan. 6, “Texas Officials File Complaint Over Controversial Sally Mann Photographs.”
Lawyer discusses what is and isn’t child porn.
He opens up his discussion with the complaint against the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
https://versustexas.com/criminal/child-pornography-in-texas/