Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art cancels Shaun Leonardo show amid censorship accusations

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland canceled Shaun Leonardo's solo exhibition "The Breath of Empty Space," scheduled to open June 6, 2020, citing community concerns that the works could "create turmoil." The show, curated by John Chaich, featured charcoal drawings and videos addressing police violence against Black Americans, including the deaths of Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddy Pereira, Freddie Gray, and Rodney King. Director Jill Snyder initially defended the cancellation in March, stating Cleveland was not "prepared to engage in a reflection on the experiences of trauma and pain." On June 6, Leonardo released a statement saying the cancellation reflects America's failure to confront systemic racism. Following the George Floyd protests, Snyder publicly apologized on June 7, admitting the museum had made a mistake and committed to doing better. The exhibition had previously been shown at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where Freddie Gray was killed in 2015. The cancellation sparked accusations of censorship and highlighted broader reluctance among US cultural institutions to take strong stances on racial justice, with only generic statements from museums like the Getty and SFMOMA.