Dear Dean Karen Hutzel,

We write to you as faculty of the College of Visual Arts and Design in the wake of the cancellation of Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá, the exhibition by Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez. In our recent letter to university leadership, we expressed our concern regarding the abrupt removal of a completed and publicly opened exhibition, and we called for transparency and accountability in the decision-making process.

Since then, the situation has drawn national press coverage and prompted an open letter from CVAD alumni. Additionally, CVAD faculty recently received a letter from current graduate students urging us to take further action and ensure that silence does not become normalized within our college community (full listing: https://tinyurl.com/untcvadpress)..) Their message reflects a deep sense of disappointment, vulnerability, and uncertainty about the conditions under which they are being educated—concerns we take seriously as educators.

The absence of open dialogue surrounding this event has created confusion and unease among students, staff, and faculty alike. In a college devoted to visual culture, critical inquiry, and creative research, the removal of an exhibition without explanation has implications that extend beyond a single show. It raises fundamental questions about academic freedom, artistic expression, institutional responsibility, and the conditions under which our students can develop their work.

We believe it is essential that our college address these concerns directly and collectively. To that end, we respectfully request the following:

That you host a town hall or listening session open to all CVAD students, staff, and faculty as soon as possible, prior to CVAD Celebrates on March 21 and the college-wide meeting on March 27. Such a forum would provide space for members of our community to ask questions, voice concerns, and engage in dialogue about how we move forward together. Holding this session in advance would allow the concerns and questions raised by our community to be meaningfully reflected in subsequent college-level discussions.

That a dedicated agenda item be added to the March 27 college-wide meeting to discuss the exhibition’s cancellation and its broader implications for academic freedom and artistic expression within the College of Visual Arts and Design. This discussion would provide faculty an opportunity to respond to concerns surfaced in the town hall, seek clarity, and consider how our college can uphold the principles central to higher education and to the arts.

According to UNT CVAD bylaws, one-third of the faculty may petition to convene a special meeting with the Dean. Unlike the public Change.org petition, this is an internal request shared only with CVAD faculty so that our college can address these concerns directly.

We do not seek confrontation. We seek conversation. We ask that our college model the intellectual courage and openness that we expect of our students. We remain committed to the educational mission of the College of Visual Arts and Design and to fostering an environment where creative inquiry can flourish without fear of erasure or silence. We respectfully ask that you help create that environment by convening the conversations our community needs.

Sincerely,

Faculty of the College of Visual Arts and Design