Glossary
brooklyn museum v. city of new york (phrase)
A landmark 1999 federal court case in which a judge ruled that New York City could not withhold funding from the Brooklyn Museum over its controversial art exhibition. The court declared that the government cannot use financial threats to censor creative ideas, even if politicians find them offensive. This decision was a massive victory for artistic freedom, ensuring that the boundary-pushing legacy of the Young British Artists could survive global backlash and that museums can safely exhibit shocking art without losing public support.
A landmark 1999 federal court case in which a judge ruled that New York City could not withhold funding from the Brooklyn Museum over its controversial art exhibition. The court declared that the government cannot use financial threats to censor creative ideas, even if politicians find them offensive. This decision was a massive victory for artistic freedom, ensuring that the boundary-pushing legacy of the Young British Artists could survive global backlash and that museums can safely exhibit shocking art without losing public support.
