Books have been censored throughout history, and many of the classic works of literature-the Bible; William Shakespeare’s plays-have been banned several times.

Materials are frequently censored because they deal with difficult issues or they raise ideas that segments of society find threatening. Last year in America there was a dramatic rise in the number of challenged books.

According to the American Library Association, 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in schools and public libraries in 2023. This was a rise of 65 percent from 2022 and is the highest number ever recorded by the ALA. Many of the challenged titles represent the lives of people of color and of the LGBTQ+ community.

For this exhibition, held in tandem with Banned Books Week, we invited artists to create a work that addresses the harms of censorship. Each 10 x 8″ book-shaped canvas is for sale at $100 each, with the proceeds shared 70/30 by the artist and Friends of Floyd Memorial Library. These canvases are also accompanied by several feature works.

In creating Banned! Artists Respond to Book Banning, our intention is to promote the arts and the right to read freely, to raise money for local artists and the library and, with sales through a set-price lottery, to make art ownership as (relatively) equitable and accessible as possible.

Please join us for the celebratory closing reception on Friday, October 11, 6-8 pm, when those who have purchased a Banned! artwork can pick up the work to take home.