Several students of color at Arkansas Tech deemed Dominique Simmons’s artworks “racially insensitive.”
Pen America
Minnesota Professor Reportedly Fired for Showing Paintings of Prophet Muhammad
Academics and literary nonprofits condemned the Hamline University professor’s dismissal as a violation of academic freedom.
African Artists Face “Troubling” Restrictions on Creative Freedom
A new report by PEN America details how artistic freedom in Africa is being suppressed amidst flawed elections, military coups, and political crises.
Margaret Atwood Protests Book Banning With Fireproof Copy of The Handmaid’s Tale
The fire-resistant copy will be auctioned to raise funds for PEN America.
Frankenthaler Foundation Provides $2.5M to Support Ukrainian Artists and Cultural Heritage
The funding will also support artists at risk in Belarus, Russia, and other countries.
Writers’ Organization Issues Dire Warning After Members Reportedly Murdered by Taliban
Two of PEN International’s members, Abdullah Atefi and Dawa Khan Menapal, were reportedly murdered by Taliban forces earlier this month.
Belarus Targets Cultural Sector, Moving to Liquidate Country’s PEN Chapter
PEN Belarus is one of 50 of civil rights organizations facing closure.
A Handbook for Artists Facing Persecution
PEN America has released a critical guide for artists at risk, created with input from persecuted creators around the world.
Can You Spot Election Disinformation? Take This Quiz to Find Out
Before you vote, check your knowledge of disinformation with PEN America’s new online quiz, “What To Expect When You’re Electing.”
NYPD Proposes Stricter Regulations on Press Credentials
The proposal would expand the authority of officers to remove credentials from journalists and bar them from crossing police lines to cover news stories.
Tania Bruguera Among Artists Detained in Cuba Before Protest Against Police Brutality
Bruguera was arrested in her home under pretenses of “pandemic contagion,” preventing her from attending a demonstration against the killing of Hansel Ernesto Hernández Galiano.
Journalists Were Arrested In Minneapolis for “No Fathomable Reason,” Says PEN America
In a statement released today, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel condemned the unfounded arrest of a CNN crew covering protests in the city, calling the scene a “dystopian spectacle.”