An art exhibition by Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez, whose work comments on issues facing U.S. Latinos, seemed like a natural fit for the campus of the University of North Texas in Denton, north of Dallas. Nearly a quarter of the students are Hispanic and the show focused on Quiñonez's dual cultural identity, as someone born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and raised in East Dallas, Texas.
Before it traveled to Texas, the show, called called "Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá — Neither from Here Nor from There," had a successful run in Massachusetts at Boston University. But within a couple of days of its opening at UNT on Feb. 3, Quiñonez was being pinged on social media by students: The exhibition had been shut down.
'I.C.E.' pops
"Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá" incorporated pieces from a series Quiñonez calls "I.C.E. Scream," which includes large resin sculptures in bright colors.
"They're in the shape of a Mexican paleta, which is a Mexican popsicle that you would see the paleteros pushing around in their little carts," the artist said in a recent interview at his studio in Queens, New York.
At first glance, those brightly-colored treats look like fun, nostalgic pop art. But there's something else going on, too. Each one has an item encapsulated inside of it, including handcuffs, replica firearms and old rosaries.
"When you're a child finishing your ice cream, there was sometimes a stamp or a joke that was put onto the popsicle stick," Quiñonez said. But what's stamped on these sticks is not a corny Dad joke, but a parody of the official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seal with text that reads: "U.S. Inhumane and Cruelty Enforcement."
Quiñonez' work has been presented around the country, including at The Shed, a cultural center in New York City. Shed curator Deja Belardo said people see themselves reflected in Quiñonez's art.
"We immediately saw the value of Victor's work and being responsive to what was happening around us," Belardo said. "The way he was wanting to tell a story about immigrants and their labor, and all of the work that they do in the shadows."
Managing 'barking' from Austin
The University of North Texas did not respond to multiple requests from NPR for comment on why they had closed the exhibition. But an independent arts journalist, Adam Schrader, the founder of the site Urgent Matter, filed a public records access request. He obtained text messages between UNT President Harrison Keller and then-Provost Michael McPherson about the show's removal, and posted some of them online. McPherson stepped down from the position in May to become a senior advisor to Keller.
Initially, the administrators discussed removing some of the pieces from the show. But then the provost texted that he wanted to take down the entire exhibition instead. McPherson wrote, "I think it'll be easier to manage any barking from our friends in Austin."
Austin is the home of Texas' state legislature. Schrader pointed out that this situation at UNT reflects a larger trend across the U.S. of universities reversing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that they formerly championed.
"It comes after a lot of discourse politically around diversity, equity and inclusion at universities and just free speech in general at universities, art displays, at campuses from Florida to Texas and across the nation," Schrader said.
NPR and NPR member stations have previously reported on the University of North Carolina board of governors voting to repeal the school's DEI policy in 2024; last year, lawmakers in Ohio introduced measures to limit or eliminate DEI initiatives at all public universities in their state.
"It's not like they were directly censored," Schrader said of UNT. "There were no politicians that directly came and said, 'You cannot have this show.'" Schrader said that's where the real story is.
The White House has withheld billions from federally-funded universities whose diversity and inclusion policies do not align with those of President Trump. This is similar to policies enacted in some state legislatures around the country. In 2023, Texas began abolishing DEI programs at state-funded colleges and universities — including UNT — via a state senate bill.
Vibe shift
One of the UNT students who reached out to alert Quiñonez about his exhibition being shuttered was Jenny Yanez, who graduated from the school in May.
In an interview shortly before her graduation, Yanez said the mood within the arts program definitely shifted during her last few months at the university.
"I feel like everyone is acting like they're walking on eggshells and they feel very nervous as artists," she said. For example, members of the UNT arts faculty wrote an open letter in protest over the exhibition's closure — but did not sign their names.
Yanez said there's been a lot of anger among students — especially around what she says has been a lack of transparency by the administration.
"My friends were definitely feeling like, 'You guys want our money, but you won't give us answers," Yanez said.
In response to the exhibition's shutdown, graduating UNT seniors did away with an important art school tradition: the graduation show on campus. Instead, they showcased their work at independent venues across Denton and Dallas.
Meanwhile, Quiñonez' work will go on exhibition at the University of California, Santa Cruz in September.
Jennifer Vanasco edited the broadcast and digital versions of this story. Chloee Weiner mixed the audio. Danielle Scruggs was the photo editor.
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