Smithsonian 'In No Way Condones Behavior' of Bill Cosby

An exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art includes works from a collection owned by Bill Cosby and his wife.

Dozens of women have accused Cosby, 78, of sexual misconduct and it was recently revealed, in a 2005 deposition, that Cosby admitted giving women drugs before sex.

The museum will be installing a sign at the exhibit “Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue,” informing visitors that the collection on display is in no way a tribute to the 78-year-old comedian, NPR reports.

Meanwhile, the museum has released a statement addressing the revelations:

Allegations that publicly surfaced when we opened this exhibition in November 2014, now combined with recent revelations about Bill Cosby’s behavior, cast a negative light on what should be a joyful exploration of African and African American art in this gallery.

The National Museum of African Art in no way condones Mr. Cosby’s behavior.

We continue to present Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue because it is fundamentally about the artworks and the artists who created them, not Mr. Cosby.

Most of the objects are from the permanent collection of the National Museum of African Art. About one-third are on loan from Camille and Bill Cosby. Though the exhibition does recognize their role in assembling those works, the purpose of the exhibition is to examine the interplay of artistic creativity in African and African American art—something that has been part of our museum’s history since our founding more than 50 years ago. The exhibition brings public attention to artists whose art has not been seen, art that tells powerful and poignant stories about African American experiences.

We invite you, our valued visitors, to provide your comments in the Visitor Book we have placed in this exhibition. You can also email your comments.

The exhibit includes artwork by Cosby daughter Erika Ranee, the Huffington Post reports.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that the Smithsonian hid the fact that the Cosbys funded the exhibition with a $716,000 gift, which virtually covers the entire cost.

“The museum was spectacularly foolish if it failed to see it was in effect endorsing and ‘condoning’ Cosby,” wrote Jonathan Jones, art critic at The Guardian.

See Also:

• Florida Woman Joins List of Bill Cosby Accusers
• Naked Bill Cosby Statute Unveiling
• Actress Claims Bill Cosby Raped Her in New Jersey