Freedom-of-speech advocacy groups have strongly criticized the History Colorado Center for its decision to remove a critical artwork from the recently launched exhibit, “Big Dreams in Denver’s Little Saigon.”
On Monday, organizations such as the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado sent a letter expressing deep concerns over the museum’s actions, describing it as a form of censorship.
The letter urged History Colorado to rectify the situation by reinstating the removed artwork along with a public acknowledgment of the mistake and an apology to the artist.
The exhibit, which aims to highlight AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) stories, was co-curated with Colorado Asian Pacific United, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to elevating the narratives of AANHPI communities.
The artwork in question, created by local artist Madalyn Drewno, is titled “None of Us Are Free Until All of Us Are Free,” and was meant to be a centerpiece of the exhibit.
Drewno learned from CAPU on October 16 that her painting would not be included in the exhibit, which officially opened on October 21, one day after the opening reception on October 20.
The painting depicts Joie Ha, the executive director of CAPU, alongside her mother, Ivy Ha. The background features a collage of images, including portraits of pro-Palestinian protestors from various cities and depictions of Colorado politicians.
In the painting, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper is illustrated with dollar signs over his eyes, while Governor Jared Polis has a red handprint over his mouth, symbolizing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children Movement. Another notable feature is U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s face, paired with the text, “Bennet funds genocide.”
According to Drewno, the museum indicated that her two other commissioned pieces—”Letting Go + Holding On” and “Love Is All About Good Timing”—could remain in the exhibit. However, Drewno opted to withdraw those works as well, citing a lack of transparency from the museum throughout the process.
“I just felt like it wouldn’t make any sense to take out one of the most important pieces of this whole series and to just allow the museum to use the other two artworks,” Drewno stated to Denverite.
The collaboration between CAPU and Drewno involved commissioning three local artists for original works to be part of the exhibit, in addition to showcasing traditional Southeast and East Asian clothing, a preview of the documentary “There’s a Lane For Us,” and oral histories from community members.
These works are on loan to the History Colorado Center through the exhibit’s conclusion in October 2026.
In its defense, History Colorado stated that the painting was removed because it differed significantly from the initial artwork submitted for the exhibit. They asserted that using public funds to display opinions that could be construed as campaigning for or against political candidates is not their practice.
Drewno contested this rationale, suggesting that the removal was at least partially motivated by the painting’s pro-Palestinian messages.
“I personally just find it very hard to believe that having a painting with very explicit Palestine support is not part of this at all,” she remarked.
CAPU leadership clarified that they were not involved in the museum’s decision to remove Drewno’s painting, stating that the order originated from the legal department of the museum, not from curators.
“CAPU and the HC curation team tried to negotiate a compromise and open up a dialogue, however the legal counsel’s decision was final,” they explained.
As a publicly funded nonprofit within the Office of Higher Education, History Colorado operates under certain guidelines, which may include restrictions on political communications.
Attorney Martha Tierney, an expert in campaign finance law, noted that while the museum could have legally displayed the painting, it might have been required to report it to the Secretary of State as an electioneering communication.
She stated, “There is a provision in the (state) constitution that talks about electioneering communications and that it doesn’t mean you can’t do them, but you’re supposed to report them.”
Despite the museum’s claims, Drewno pointed out that the distinction made by History Colorado concerning her artwork was misleading.
“The issue that was claimed by the museum was not that the final painting was completely different from what I proposed,” she explained. “What was the complaint was that I had included politicians’ images. So, even if the museum or CAPU was claiming, ‘Well, she broke the contract because it wasn’t the same thing as she proposed in those conversations,’ that wasn’t the issue.”
Throughout this ordeal, both Drewno and CAPU noted that History Colorado did not make an effort to communicate directly with Drewno. While CAPU made connections through email, encouraging the museum to reach out, Drewno reported that all correspondence came via CAPU, not directly from the History Colorado staff.
Elizabeth Larison, the Director of the Arts and Culture Advocacy program at the National Coalition Against Censorship, commented after Drewno reached out regarding the artwork’s removal. “In short, the museum has censored her work,” Larison stated to Denverite in an interview, questioning the museum’s legal rationale for the removal.
“The History Colorado Center has invited those works of the artist. They rejected one of them under the pretense that it’s in violation of the law, but that is not a credible legal argument. And so it begs the question of what are the real reasons why this work is being removed?”
This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding institutional censorship, particularly amid a growing climate that some attribute to the policies emanating from the previous presidential administration.
In their letter, the NCAC and other signatories called for a public acknowledgment of History Colorado’s error, an apology to Drewno, and a renewed invitation for the display of Drewno’s complete triptych in the exhibition, emphasizing the need for audiences to engage with the artwork as it was originally intended.
History Colorado has not provided additional comments regarding the matter.
As a note to readers, this story has been updated to correct the name of the National Coalition Against Censorship and to clarify that the loan agreement was established between CAPU and History Colorado. A quotation that was originally present has also been removed.
image source from：denverite
