The UB Humanities Institute invites you to join for a free and open-to-the-public talk by artist Karen Finley:

How do the arts and humanities respond to the Culture Wars?  What are the Culture Wars? How is education under attack? How are bodies under attack? How do we stand up? What is our relationship to the pandemic? How do we eradicate gun violence? When is free speech hate speech?

This talk will consider the “Culture Wars” and other related politics, policies, discrimination, and its aftermath today. Finley was the named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, National Endowment of the Arts v. Finley, 524 U.S. 569 (1998), in which she was the named plaintiff (with John Fleck, Holly Hughes and Tim Miller) in a suit where the artists challenged being denied public funding based on indecency. Finley will share examples of her work but also include others such as John Sims, Thank God for Abortion (Viva Ruiz), Narcisister, Bruce Yonemoto, Drag Queen Story Hour, Dr. Sheril Antonio, George Emilio Sanchez, and others.

About Karen Finley (according to wikipedia)

Karen Finley (born 1956) is an American performance artist, musician and poet.^[1] Her performance art, recordings, and books are used as forms of activism.^[2][3] Her work frequently uses nudity and profanity.^[4]Finley incorporates depictions of sexuality, abuse, and disenfranchisement in her work.^[5] She is currently a professor^[6] at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Karen Finley has written various books that focus on controversial topics.^[7] She wrote Shock Treatment, Enough Is Enough: Weekly Meditations for Living Dysfunctionally, the Martha Stewart satire Living It Up: Humorous Adventures in Hyperdomesticity, Pooh Unplugged (detailing the eating and psychological disorders of Winnie the Pooh and his friends),^[8] and A Different Kind of Intimacy – a latter collection of her works. Her poem “The Black Sheep” is among her best-known works; it was displayed as public art in New York City for one month.^[9] Finley’s poetry is included in The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry.

Hallwalls presents COVID Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco

Karen Finley’s visit to the University at Buffalo is in conjunction with three (3) performances of COVID Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (341 Delaware Avenue), Oct. 12, 13, and 14, 7:30pm. Tickets are on-sale now: $27 general, $25 students/seniors, and $20 members. Click here to buy tickets.