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Art ‘demonstrates the pervasiveness of anti-religious sentiment on college campuses,’ state rep. says

Grand Valley State University has removed paintings that promote gender ideology with Catholic imagery from the Kirkhof Center on campus following backlash from students and public officials.

The removal of the art was first reported by LifeSite News and confirmed by The College Fix.

“The concerns expressed about a piece of art in GVSU’s Kirkhof Center, ‘Pétalos De Cambio’ (Petals of Change), revolve around the nature, location, and context of the piece,” Chris Knape, assistant vice president of university communications, told The College Fix via email.

“We understand that artistic content is often viewed differently by individuals, and therefore are compelled to provide the context necessary to accurately reflect the artist’s stated intent of the piece. We must also place art where we can respectfully care for the work, the artist and the broader viewing community,” he said.

Therefore, the school is relocating the piece “where it can be presented with greater context,” Knape said.

The removed art was a digitally altered depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe—a sacred image revered by Catholics.

The artist incorporated Spanish slogans into the image, which translate to “homophobia is lethal,” “no more feminicide,” “sexuality,” and “trans.” The art also includes an image of two men kissing, LifeSite News reported.

Republican State Rep. Luke Meerman told The College Fix via email he is “grateful to the University for removing the paintings.”

“Many religious students have contacted me directly about this issue,” he said. Meerman worked alongside them and urged the university to take the paintings down.

The “art that was put on display at Grand Valley demonstrates the pervasiveness of anti-religious sentiment on college campuses,” the representative said.

Asked about the school’s intent, he said it “was attempting to celebrate its students’ work but overlooked or even disregarded the content of the ‘art.’”

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“Unfortunately, the University’s choices are repeatedly one-sided and skewed to a left political lean. If art was displayed that depicted anti-LGBTQ sentiments, the University and student body would be outraged,” he said.

“It’s one thing for students to have free speech, it’s another thing for the University to buy the paintings. Now, it’s a University statement that reinforces the idea that Christians are not welcome and can be discriminated against,” Meerman told The Fix.

Another state representative, Jamie Thompson, stated in a Facebook post that one of her constituents expressed “frustration as a Catholic and a student at Grand Valley.”

“He feels as though his Religious beliefs are being stomped on and thrown in his face, I agree with him,” Thompson wrote.

Similarly, Michael McDonald, communications director at the Catholic League, also expressed his concerns about discrimination against Christians in an email to The Fix.

“Looking at the big picture (pun intended), our secular ‘friends’ like to point out at every chance that public institutions cannot endorse religion. They never cease to lecture about the ‘separation of Church and State’ even to the point that they become the Grinch and ruin Christmas merriment,” McDonald said.

However, “the inverse is equally true,” he said. “Public institutions cannot discriminate or disparage or defame one religion.”

Asked about the university’s intent, McDonald said, “when you show me a picture using Catholic iconography to promote causes that the secular left daily bashes the Catholic Church for not being ‘woke’ enough on, I tend to think this is more hostile to the Church than it is just simply borrowing Catholic imagery.”

He said that while he cannot prove this one way or another, “it is something the university should take into consideration.”

MORE: House committee criticizes Dept. of Ed. targeting of Christian colleges

IMAGE: State Representative Jamie Thompson/Facebook

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