Teen artists portrayed their lives -- some adults didn't want to see the full picture

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/28/nx-s1-5463593/teen-art-smithsonian-folklife-festival

At this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival, high school students created work in real time. Their space on the National Mall included an installation of a school bathroom where anyone could write on the stalls and a mural depicting a range of issues "from the stresses of college acceptance to protests to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic to self-image," said 17-year-old artist Flair Doherty.

(snip)

Flair Doherty said a Smithsonian staff member approached her and the other teen artists and told them she believed the "Free Palestine" slogan was "antisemitic and hateful." Doherty, who is Jewish, said she told her she disagreed, "We talked for maybe three minutes and did not really get anywhere."

"We went over the next day and it was completely covered in tarps," said 18-year-old artist Léda Pelton, who had not yet finished her section of the mural about cars and college acceptance.

Pelton said Smithsonian officials told them they covered it up because they were "afraid that somebody was going to walk by and see 'Free Palestine' on our mural and get mad and hurt us. And I'm like, 'maybe we are not the problem in that situation.'"

[MerryBlooms]

1. When I ran away from home in the 60s

I didn't have a plan. I ran away to the around next corner dysfunctional house from me.
I didn't take anything with me
No plan
Later years yes, always have a plan
This is so poignant
The wings, especially touched my heart
I been telling myself and others, shake the mud off your wings and fly
Thank you so much for posting this powerful piece

[LoisB]

2. Whatever happened to the First Amendment?

[Uncle Joe]

4. I believe Martin Luther King summed it up well

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail

[LoisB]

6. Yes.

[marble falls]

3. Smart kids. They see the lie in "this is for your own good."

[Iggo]

5. "Free Palestine" is not antisemitic.

[cannabis_flower]

9. Yes. In this case

One group of Semites (Israel) is being antisemitic against another group of Semites (Palestinians).

[Biophilic]

7. Yea, I think she gets it. They "aren't the problem in this situation"

[erronis]

8. So succinctly stated, and so true.

Look to ourselves for our faults.

[Solly Mack]

10. Censorship. Bullshit censorship. Let them speak - freely.

[BurnDoubt]

11. Throttling Freedom...

Can you still hear the whimper?
Keep listening 'til you hear the Bang.