Blathering on in Krisendom, an acrylic polymer statue depicting university president Kris Bulcroft & her poodle Margaux as ventriloquist dummies wearing an American flag & skull-&-crossbones gown, had been on display in Capilano’s studio arts department since May of last year.
Capilano University seized and removed a sculpture lampooning the university president, Kris Bulcroft, on the grounds it constituted a form of harassment of a university employee.
George Rammell, the instructor who created the sculpture, said the satirical piece was inspired by his opposition to Bulcroft’s program cuts.
The artwork, which depicts Bulcroft and her poodle as ventriloquist dolls wrapped in an American flag, was removed from the university’s studio art building on the orders of the board of governor’s chair during the night of May 7.
CAUT has appointed an ad hoc investigatory committee to determine the circumstances surrounding the seizure of Rammell’s sculpture, and whether the seizure constituted violation of his academic freedom, and to address any larger issues for the Capilano academic community arising from these events.
The members of the committee are Jason Brown, past president of Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association (chair) and Terri Van Steinburg, president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University Faculty Association.