Villanova Cancels Gay Artist's Workshop

PHILADELPHIA — Villanova University has canceled a workshop on personal narrative by a gay performance artist, saying his shows aren't in keeping with its Catholic values.

Artist Tim Miller, once dubbed the "patron saint of the gay performance world" by the Los Angeles Times, said he was scheduled to lead the five-day workshop for students in April but the university abruptly scrapped it on Sunday. He said his workshops focus on personal narrative and the students guide the direction they take but topics often include issues such as faith, sexuality, self and truth.

Miller said he thinks his being gay played into Villanova's decision to cancel.

"The thing that they worry about, I think, is that I am a gay person," he said. "Being a gay person with political opinions."

Miller said on Tuesday he has done similar workshops at Chicago's DePaul University, the nation's largest Catholic university, and other schools. He said Villanova, a Catholic private university with about 10,000 students just outside Philadelphia, did not tell him why it was canceling his workshop.

"This is not my first time at the dance," Miller said, noting the cancellation came after blog postings that were critical about him. "It's clearly homophobia and panic."

In a statement, Villanova said it had concerns that Miller's workshops "were not in keeping with our Catholic and Augustinian values and mission."

"Therefore, Villanova has decided not to host Mr. Miller on our campus," the statement said. "Villanova University is an open and inclusive community and in no way does this singular decision change that."

A spokesman said the university would not answer questions beyond the statement on Tuesday.

Miller gained notoriety in 1990 when he and three others had grants vetoed by the National Endowment for the Arts. His work is frequently provocative, and he has been arrested in the past for demonstrating for AIDS research funding. He said some of his performances have featured nudity but there has been no nudity for about a decade.

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Comments

[Meagan Oestry]

11:57 PM on 02/22/2012

Tim Miller is one of the most influential teachers and performers I have ever met. As a performance artist, Tim takes risks, tells beautiful stories and blends binaries in powerful and meaningful ways. His work, to me, has a level of spirituality to it. It is frustrating, as a person who is interested in the ways that religious and secular perspectives can merge together if we let them, to see Villanova shoot down this amazing opportunity for their students. Homophobia is intolerable and close minded. For those interested, please sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-villanova-university-reinstate-the-banned-workshop-by-performance-artist-tim-miller?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish

[sisimasterson]

12:21 PM on 02/22/2012

Taking a look at the video.....what lame performance.

[Sean Lawlor]

09:46 AM on 02/22/2012

If Catholic schools think they're somehow preventing homosexuality or aren't aware of the huge amounts of gays at their schools, they're already losing the fight. Catholic University is like a little San Francisco.

[marywindwolf]

12:06 AM on 02/22/2012

Guess the University like the others, are hard up for donations..Even to lower themselves to the extremist evangelicals..

[charlesdickens]

10:34 PM on 02/21/2012

Villanova is a very parochial institution in a diocese out of the Middle Ages.

[slothrop]

09:02 PM on 02/21/2012

"Villanova University is an open and inclusive community and in no way does this singular decision change that."

Uh, yes, it does.

[PrairieGayCompanion]

06:00 PM on 02/21/2012

As long as Santorum and Gingrich are in the spotlight, so will be all social issues the CC opposes.

[92102]

04:19 PM on 02/21/2012

The interesting question is why did they schedule the seminar in the first place?

[PrairieGayCompanion]

06:01 PM on 02/21/2012

Santorum wasn't part of the national debate yet.

[92102]

07:56 PM on 02/21/2012

Perhaps. These cons do more to energize the left and publicize what they are against by making a big fuss. For example, I had never heard of Mapplethorpe until the big bru ha ha. Of course I just had to see it after that.

[falsy]

03:15 PM on 02/21/2012

I almost went to Villanova, until I learned how preachy they are. I recall hearing all these strict rules about guys not being allowed in women's dorms and vice versa after certain hours.

[BooBoo Bob]

03:10 PM on 02/21/2012

Meh. The university has that right. I'm sure he can find other venues for performance that would be better receptive to his art, in any case.

[JohnFred]

01:52 PM on 02/21/2012

A lot of nasty antiCatholic expression here. What I find most interesting is that the clip above is completely in alignment with Catholic teaching. The individual exists from the moment of creation.

[whaat]

12:21 PM on 02/22/2012

As long as the Catholic Church does not honestly confront its pedophile problems, they are open for nasty anti catholic sentiments

[michael westman]

01:09 PM on 02/21/2012

A+S 1972 Straight Never a penny more for the alumni fund.

[KAYLEE BURRIS]

12:08 PM on 02/21/2012

gee Villanova,say one thing do another,sorry not very suprising.
typically predictable.

[Asmondius]

01:01 PM on 02/21/2012

Take a look at the video - using four letter words in a sexual context concerning your own parents is not exactly an example of higher learning.

[KAYLEE BURRIS]

04:44 PM on 02/21/2012

i saw the vid,the act was more of his own bohemian self definition,

check out rent:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML99I1c-iwA

[MtnGeek]

12:08 PM on 02/22/2012

Art is always up for personal interpretation. However, the artist is not new to the art world and his work is well documented. Villanova could have done themselves a favor by researching who they were working with ahead of time if they had concerns.

[Michele Bennington]

11:39 AM on 02/21/2012

The only thing that matches Augistinian values is Santorum....

[lizahn]

11:35 AM on 02/21/2012

Since I am not familiar with the artist's work I can't make an informed decision. Locally, the Catholic Church is myopic making decisions based on misinformation and shallow thinking. But I dont know about Villanova. I hope they are more progressive.

[vonric]

12:22 PM on 02/21/2012

they are not....they have a decent academic reputation, but entirely within the context of a Catholic institution, which obviously, creates substantive intellectual limits.

[Asmondius]

01:02 PM on 02/21/2012

Please tell us what is 'intellectual' about the opening moments of the performance shown oin the vid.

[jojobo5]

04:01 PM on 02/21/2012

That's a very disingenuous response. As I said on another post, the faculty there is extremely open minded and, in general, not at all constrained by catholic dogma; the administration is another story.