by Harmony Devoe
A gallery of quilts was removed after a few days of being installed in a California Wells Fargo bank after customers complained about its political messages.
Allyson Allen, a Black woman textile artist and creator of the quilts “was told by the bank manager that after customer complaints of the exhibit being too controversial for the bank public gallery, the request was sent from Wells Fargo corporate. Truly disappointing that a progressive art community like Laguna would still be controlled by the small-minded minority of individuals who cannot accept an art installation as art,” Allen wrote in an email.
The installation consisted of 36 quilts with inspiring and anti-hate images done with patchwork. One shows a Black man with “Enough!” over his head. Another says “Don’t let hate go viral” with a picture of a virus spreading. A third has a clenched rainbow fist and the words “Pride - Love is Love.” One has a picture of a family that reads, “When I grow up, I want to be alive.” Another has the art of a Native American on a horse, with words and pictures to do with the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
This exhibit was installed Thursday, January 20, and was scheduled to be up until April 22, with an artist speech on the last day. Instead, the quilts were removed the next Wednesday.
“Wells Fargo is committed to and invested in the Laguna Beach community – our support of the Community Art Project program is a reflection of that commitment. We’re equally committed to ensuring a culture and customer experience that welcomes all,” a Wells Fargo corporate spokesperson said in a prepared statement Thursday.
Allen won the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance’s 7° of Inspiration Grant for this quilt exhibit in 2019, said Faye Baglin, treasurer for the Community Art Project (CAP). Although CAP is very disappointed with Wells Fargo’s decision, they have to respect the company’s decision to preserve a partnership and use of their gallery space.
“CAP was privileged to be able to display it even for a few days. In my personal view, art should make us think and possibly see the world from a different perspective. It’s sad that some customers disagreed,” said Baglin.
Baglin and Allen have received 3 calls from customers of that bank telling them they were disappointed with the banks’ decision to remove the art.
This also happened at an unfortunate time for Laguna Beach. On January 11, the City Council announced that since February is Ethnic Diversity and Black History Month, they would be celebrating diversity within the community.
“No community can move forward in unity and in just treatment with these wrong perceptions. Those negative perceptions are killers. They don’t do anything for ethnic harmony,” says a Laguna Beach resident, Rebecca Washington-Lindsey.
This artist’s story of her quilts was posted on Instagram, receiving a number of supportive comments in response. “They are beautiful beautiful pieces of artwork. I will never understand some people and their intolerance,” said one commenter. Callie Shell, a photographer for Time magazine commented, “Are these quilts available for exhibit somewhere else? These are wonderful.” Another account called “radical_adequacy” wrote, “I guess wanting to live is controversial if you’re Black.” These quotes prove that this was an unfair and disheartening thing that happened.
“It’s depressing that a handful of prejudiced people could have an outsized impact in a historically progressive town,” Sally Sanders, a 20-year resident, and Black Lives Matter activist said. “This is kind of a trend that Laguna Beach is not what it used to be. Now it’s starting to lean toward the full right with racism and commercialism. I’ll protest outside that bank if I have to.”
Thankfully, a portion of the exhibit will be shown at the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance’s annual Art Stars Gala on April 24, but it is still disappointing that these beautiful quilts could not be shown in the bank for the intended amount of time because of some people’s close-mindedness and oppressiveness.