New! Check out Marjorie Heins's new book, Not in Front ot the Children.
The Boston Coalition For Freedom of Expression is an alliance of artists, writers, arts administrators, educators, and citizens concerned about censorship, arts advocacy, and the right of all segments of our society to be heard. The BCFE is a project of Mobius, an artist-run center for experimental art in all media, located at 354 Congress Street, Boston, near Fort Point Channel.
An informal affiliate of the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression, the BCFE formed in May 1990 to combat attacks on the arts at the local, state, and national levels. In June 1990 the BCFE participated in the National Campaign's nationwide Freedom of Expression Festival by sending a 24- foot video/ multi-media Freedom of Expression Caravan, created by Pearson-Post Industries and Jeff de Castro, around the city to distribute information and to interview people on the street. In July and August, we held demonstrations in support of the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Photographic Resource Center when both came under attack by the pro-censorship forces of the extreme right.
Since that time we have lobbied for arts funding and against restrictive laws and amendments both in the Massachusetts Legislature and in Congress. We have testified at legislative hearings, marched, rallied, petitioned, sponsored panel discussions and performances, created resource files, and distributed informational materials. On June 1, 1991, we observed the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights by sponsoring a Celebration of Free Expression on Boston Common. In the fall of 1992, we held an event series at Mobius that culminated in our first annual 24-hour reading of banned literature. The BCFE is now developing educational presentations on First Amendment issues and free expression, and has been a key participant in the Mobius High School Freedom of Expression Project.
Speakers at BCFE events have included former ICA Director David Ross, playwright Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro, Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, installation artist Richard Bolton, composer Earl Kim, artist Allan Rohan Crite, Boston Review editor Margaret Ann Roth, Agni editor Askold Melnyczuk, Addison Gallery Curator Jock Reynolds, political analyst Chip Berlet, gay activists Sue Hyde and Warren J. Blumenfeld, attorney Marjorie Heins of the ACLU Arts Censorship Project, journalist Nan Levinson of the Index on Censorship, Edmund Barry Gaither of the National Center of Afro American Artists, and numerous other members of the artistic, political, and academic communities.
The BCFE holds open meetings at Mobius on the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m. We are always available to provide assistance to artists whose work faces threats from any source. Call 617/266-5827 for additional details.
Every year on August 1 the BCFE issues a heroes and villains list. Here's our
Be sure to check out the following resources:
Coming soon:
Also:
Our background pattern was designed by our friend Dana Moser for the homepage of Adult Children of Heterosexuals., a genderbending cabaret/guerilla theater band whose ranks contain members, friends and supporters of the BCFE.
Go back to Bob Chatelle's Home Page.