St. Louis arts center shut down its artists' pro-Palestinian exhibit, calling it antisemitic

Two local artists are criticizing a St. Louis art center for removing their exhibition, which the organization labeled as antisemitic.

Dani Collette and Allora McCullough were selected for Craft Alliance’s artists-in-residence program in July 2023. The 11-month program picks two artists to share a private studio, receive a stipend and tuition waivers for workshops, and compose a group exhibition that’s presented for a month at the end of the program.

The artists titled their exhibition, which they said focused on pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide movements, “Planting Seeds, Sprouting Hope.”

The exhibition opened Friday. Two of Collette’s pieces were removed prior to the exhibit’s opening, which she said she was not aware of until she arrived at the event. One was a bowl with a keffiyeh print, titled “Symbol of Solidarity,” and the other was several watermelon seed-shaped pieces with the phrase “Land Back” carved into them.