CENSORSHIP, AUTHORITARIANISM, & “DEGENERATE” ART

Please join us in 2026 for a NEW series of four presentations connecting Humanism and the Arts, in January, April, July, and October. The arts often impact society through visionary perspectives on social justice, environmental justice, contradicting ideologies, the human condition, and much more, inspiring awareness and activism. Events will be held at 40West Arts in the Arts Hub in front of Casa Bonita in Lakewood. All events are free and open to the public, sponsored by Jefferson Humanists.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026
Censorship, Authoritarianism, and “Degenerate” Art:
What Can We Learn from the Past?

4:00-4:30: Sign in, enjoy light refreshments, socialize. The presentation starts at 4:30. JH Members*, your help is appreciated! If you can help with set up, please arrive at 3:30.*

Our first presentation will explore parallels in government intervention in the arts in 1930s Germany, the 1980s in America, and in 2025. We'll learn about Hitler's efforts to censor and vilify modern art, calling it “degenerate.” We'll revisit the 1980s when culture wars in the United States resulted in the withdrawal of federal funding for arts organizations that showed feminist, LGBTQ artists, and artists of color, especially those who challenged existing standards of beauty and morality. Bringing the discussion into 2025, we'll look at government actions being taken today that dismiss, defund, and erase works labelled as “woke” or “disgusting."

"The attempt to control what artists can make and say is itself evidence of the threat that art poses to authoritarianism, and thus how important it is to support a free and critical art in the darkest of times." - Deanne Pytlinski

About the Presenter
Deanne Pytlinski is Professor of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at Metropolitan State University of Denver. A specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art History, she teaches courses on Art Between the World Wars, Art and Global Politics Since 1989, Feminist Art, and other 20th and 21st Century movements. Her research has focused on early video art, especially within countercultural and feminist contexts. She earned a Ph.D. in Art History from the Graduate Center of City University of New York and a Master’s degree from Pratt Institute.

Thank you, 40West Arts! Located just off Colfax in the Casa Bonita shopping center, the Arts Hub houses multiple galleries and arts activities; come early to learn about this vibrant West Colfax arts center. www.40westarts.org/40-west-gallery