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Article: Controversy rages over sculpture at Topeka university.(Art)("Holier than Thou")
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- February 20, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A sculpture at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., has sparked a controversy about government involvement in religious symbols, academic freedom and the subjective interpretation of art.
The 38-inch tall bronze sculpture, titled "Holier than Thou," depicts a cleric wearing a miter that some think looks like a penis. A plaque along with the artwork says that this is the "persona" the artist fearfully encountered when making first confession as a 7-year-old. Jerry Boyle, the artist, is a practicing Catholic.
Washburn biology professor Thomas O'Connor and Andrew Strobl, a Washburn senior, filed a lawsuit against the university in early January, saying the ...