Club President James Values Art and Freedom

Nov 07, 2004

NEW YORK - Despite threats, National Arts Club President O. Aldon James said that he would not cancel the Falun Gong art exhibit, "Uncompromising Courage," that is running in the Club until Nov. 8.

The nonviolent, spiritual practice Falun Gong was banned in China because the government did a survey and found out 70-100 million people were practicing, which was more than the number of registered members in the Chinese Communist Party, said Gail Rachlin, a spokesman for Falun Gong in New York.

One of the coordinators for the exhibit, Ms. Wenyi Wang, said that the threats likely originated from the New York Chinese Consulate, which has interfered with local Falun Gong activities in the past.

James prefers not to go into details about the threats for security reasons, but said, "We've taken precautions in light of what's been done and said."

Raised in South Dakota with his twin brother, James grew up in a family of doctors that had a deep appreciation for the arts. He fondly remembers his parents elaborately taking him aside and bestowing upon him what would be the most precious gift of his childhood: a public library card.

Now, James serves by political appointment on the State-level New York Council for the Humanities and on the literary committee for the National Arts Club (a post he assumed before he became Club president).

James-- who often talks about the necessity and power of art-- seems to have an equal belief in the necessity and power of freedom. "You can have existence but not life without freedom of speech," he said.

During his career, James said the Club has hosted numerous art exhibitions that were controversial, including motorcycle art and, more recently, tattoo art. For the "Uncompromising Courage" art exhibit he likewise sees no need for cancellation. "I think the artwork has such integrity," he said.

Similar to the torture reenactments around Manhattan, the paintings in "Uncompromising Courage" often depict scenes of Falun Gong practitioners facing torture for refusing to give up their beliefs.

"People say 'what is happening in Mainland China has nothing to do with this country.' [But] what history has shown is that we're all connected. If something happens to any member of the human family it reverberates and it will end up on our doorstop," said James.

The National Arts Club is a nonprofit organization founded in 1898 and occupies the Tilden Mansion on Gramercy Park South. The Mansion, built in the 1840s has been designated a New York Landmark and a National Historic Landmark by the Federal government. Members have included a variety of names, from former U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower to actors Robert Redford and Uma Thurman.

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