The art exhibit had been in the works for more than a year when Alison Stinely was abruptly told her paintings needed to be removed from a Norfolk gallery.
The 32-year-old figure painter and assistant professor of painting at Old Dominion University spent three years creating 14 pieces that were scheduled to be shown in the Transit Gallery, an art space inside of a Hampton Roads Transit building in Norfolk.
Stinely worked with the Norfolk Arts Commission — a government office that serves as a liaison between the city and arts organizations — to secure the gallery space, which would feature her exhibit, “Show of Force,” from Jan. 26 until March 30.
But after Hampton Roads Transit employees expressed concern over the content of her paintings — specifically the nudity and “scary” depictions — Stinely’s planned exhibition fell through.
Now, her full exhibition has found a new, welcoming home at the Linda Matney Gallery on Richmond Road in Williamsburg, and will be shown starting April 21.
‘Editing’ the exhibit
As the installation date approached, Stinely spent hours neatly wrapping her paintings for safe transport to the Norfolk gallery.
Many of the works featured images of nude men and women painted with pink and purple flesh. She said the collection is representative of myths and how they translate to her experiences navigating the world as a young woman.
On Friday, Stinely and an ODU student carefully unloaded the heavy artwork from a U-Haul, placing it in a safe space inside of the Barry Arts Building. She left just in time to attend a 1 p.m. meeting back at ODU and planned to return to the gallery to install the paintings on Tuesday.
Four hours later she got an email from a Norfolk Arts representative who had helped her organize the show.
Her exhibit needed some “edits,” the email said.
“I’m working hard to try and get approval on what I can from the work delivered today,” the email read. “The CEO of HRT absolutely said they could not show the work and I’m so terribly sorry.”
Stinely asked what type of edits needed to be made to the collection, and specifically if it was the nudity or the “scary” images that were in question.
Both, she was told.
In an interview with WYDaily, HRT spokesman Tom Holden said that after the art was delivered, some employees in the building expressed “concern about the content” of the paintings, although he could not confirm what those concerns were or how many employees complained.
“Word got back to senior management that there was some concern about some of the content, and given that it’s a public building they decided that we’ll pass on this opportunity,” Holden said.
The Norfolk Arts Commission asked Stinely if she’d be open to showing some of her paintings at the Transit Gallery after the collection was edited to address the concerns of the HRT employees. The artist declined in favor of working with the commission to secure a new space where all of her work could be shown.
“I don’t find the nude body problematic or inherently sexual, but that could be because I am an artist. The work that was submitted in the proposal contains nudity. It does not contain sexual acts, it does not contain violence, but it contains nudity,” Stinely said.
“Without nudity, like I said, 10 out of 14 paintings would be removed. You can’t have a show with four paintings,” she added.
She was told to come get the paintings from the gallery before the start of business on Tuesday. With help from Norfolk Arts employees and her boyfriend, Stinely removed the paintings on Sunday and brought them back to her studio at ODU where they sat, still wrapped for transport, on Tuesday afternoon.
Finding a new home
John Lee Matney, owner and director of the Linda Matney Gallery in Williamsburg, said he learned of Stinely’s situation in Norfolk after people approached him about it.
Matney said he found Stinely’s contemporary style and use of color fascinating, so he offered her an exhibition slot in April at his gallery, located at 5435 Richmond Rd.
“Since the cancellation of the exhibit in Norfolk was made public, there has been a swell of support and responses from folks on social media, including many whom I’ve never met,” Stinely said. “This really speaks to the amazing arts community here in Hampton Roads.”
As far as the nudity in Stinely’s paintings, Matney said that nude figures have “always been a part of art.” Stinely’s art reminds him of motifs and classical art, but with a contemporary feel.
“The work is steeped in art history,” he said.
Although Williamsburg’s art scene focuses more on folk and classical art, Matney said, he believes her art will challenge the community in a positive way.
Stinely’s paintings follow trends in the “broader art world” and resemble works found at art fairs in New York City and Miami.
“The work creates a dialogue where the message changes as they view it,” Matney said. “That’s important for a lot of collectors and art lovers.”
An approved proposal
Stinely began pursuing an opportunity to show her work at an art gallery in Norfolk in the summer of 2016, shortly after she accepted the teaching position at ODU and moved to the city. She thought a solo show displaying her collection would be a good way to introduce herself to her new city.
Stinely put together a proposal and submitted it to the Norfolk Arts Commission on Aug. 23, 2016. She requested that her work be shown at one of two galleries: The Offsite Gallery, located in the World Trade Center downtown, or the Transit Gallery. Both galleries are located within businesses, who work with the Norfolk Arts Commission to stage rotating exhibits within their spaces.
“As part of our mission, Norfolk Arts works with property owners in several locations to place art exhibitions,” commission manager Karen Rudd wrote in an email on Tuesday.
Stinely attached eight images of her paintings in the proposal, including works that featured nude bodies.
Two months after she submitted the proposal, a Norfolk Arts representative contacted her and said that the art was reviewed by their committee and that the organization wanted to try to put together an exhibit for the collection to be shown at the Offsite Gallery in November 2017.
The Norfolk Arts representative added that staff at the World Trade Center would need to approve certain proposed paintings.
“I hope you’ll understand there may have to be some editing due to our audience and the multiple tenants in their building,” the email read.
A few weeks later, Stinely was told that higher-ups at the World Trade Center didn’t think the artwork was appropriate for their space, but that Norfolk Arts was going to work to see if the paintings would be accepted in the Transit Gallery. Another email came on Nov. 29, 2016 in which Stinely was told that her work had been approved for a show at the Transit Gallery, and she and Norfolk Arts began making plans for a January 2018 exhibit.
Emails obtained by WYDaily show the planning process for the exhibit between Stinely and the Norfolk Arts Commission. Those plans did not include further discussion of edits to Stinely’s collection, although a contract provided to her by Norfolk Arts states, “edits may be made during delivery or installation.”
In addition to the artwork attached to her proposal, Stinely informed Norfolk Arts that she might deliver new work to the gallery along with those pieces that were already submitted and reviewed.
“That’s pretty normal,” Stinely said, adding that in her experience galleries generally accept art that isn’t included in a proposal as long as it’s representative of work that’s already been approved.
Stinely’s Friday delivery to the Transit Gallery did include new works, three of which were portraits and another, larger piece that contained a nude image.
An unanswered question
In reporting this story, WYDaily has asked a question that no one from HRT, Norfolk Arts or the city has successfully answered: How did Stinely’s artwork ultimately get approved for a show at the Transit Gallery?
When asked that question, Holden deferred a WYDaily reporter back to Rudd. The reporter reached out to Rudd for additional information but was deferred to Norfolk spokesperson Lori Crouch.
“It’s not our space to impose the art,” Crouch said. “It’s HRT’s space, so we cannot say what their process was.”
Vittorio Colaizzi, an assistant professor of art at ODU, wrote in an email that he is part of the committee that reviews potential exhibits for both the Offsite and Transit galleries. He was present when Stinely’s work was reviewed by the committee and given a favorable recommendation.
Colaizzi has not spoken with the Norfolk Arts Commission about Stinely’s removal from the Transit Gallery, but was informed about it by the artist herself.
Colaizzi called Stinely’s removal from the gallery a “complex situation,” adding that the exhibits are hosted by businesses who need to approve the work that’s shown.
“As to how this happened, I think it is because of the nature of the arrangement between Norfolk Arts and the two hosting venues,” he wrote.
“I really don’t like to criticize, because they do a great service to our community in staging exhibits, but perhaps a clearer procedure that foresees situations like this would have prevented disappointments, such as a secondary review process by the hosting venues,” he added.
Stinely announced her removal from the gallery on a Facebook event page that was created for the exhibit’s opening. She said that she was working to secure another venue for her show.
Several people spoke up on Facebook in support of Stinely, alleging that her removal from the gallery was an act of censorship by HRT. Stinely said that while she struggles with the legal definition of censorship as it might relate to her being removed from the gallery, she does feel censored in some way.
When asked if HRT viewed the removal of Stinely’s exhibit from the gallery as an act of censorship, Holden said no.
“We’re not doing that, no,” he said.
“The art in question is perfectly suitable for private galleries, but unlike a private gallery where people would choose to go and often maybe pay to see the exhibit the area of concern at HRT is in an area where employees are required to pass through and attend meetings,” he added.
Stinely announced on Facebook on Tuesday night that her collection is now slated to be shown at the Linda Matney Gallery in Williamsburg starting April 21.
Stinely said she is excited to bring her art to Williamsburg in April. The 32-year-old’s great-uncle worked as a graphic designer and staff artist for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, she said.
“Anywhere that is willing to show my work is a good space to show it,” Stinely said. “I’m not sure of the demographics of Williamsburg but I appreciate that it is situated between the southside and Richmond, which geographically may allow folks from both areas to view the work.”
Send news tips to adrienne.m@localvoicemedia.com.
Sarah Fearing contributed reporting.
This story was published in partnership with our sister publication, Southside Daily.
