Museum Adds ‘Mature Content’ Warning to Exhibit with Painting of Two Cowboys Kissing

Two queer artists of color are speaking out after the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, placed a “mature content” warning on an exhibition featuring their work. The exhibition, titled Cowboy, includes a multidisciplinary installation by artists Rafa Esparza and Fabian Guerrero. While the exhibit does not contain any explicit sexual images, the artwork features gay representation, which the artists believe is the source of the controversy.

Esparza and Guerrero’s piece, titled Querías Norte, is part of the Cowboy exhibition, which aims to challenge traditional portrayals of the American cowboy. At the center of their installation is Esparza’s painting al Tempo, which depicts two dark-skinned men in cowboy hats sharing a kiss while dancing together. Both men are fully clothed, and the image focuses on their emotional connection rather than any explicit content.

The Cowboy exhibition, which includes works by 28 artists, reexamines the mythology of the cowboy, exploring themes of masculinity, gender, and identity. The museum’s press release for the exhibition highlights its goal to disrupt the stereotype of the cowboy as a White, cisgender male figure, presenting a more diverse range of interpretations across different communities. The show seeks to reflect a broader understanding of the cowboy and what it represents in modern culture.

Despite the exhibition’s inclusive mission, the museum initially faced controversy soon after the exhibit opened on September 28, 2023. According to reports from the Fort Worth Reporter, the museum temporarily closed the exhibition with no explanation. When the exhibition reopened, a “mature content” warning sign was placed at the entrance, along with a QR code allowing visitors to preview the artwork before entering.

The museum’s decision to issue the warning, without providing specific details about which works it considered to be “mature content,” has sparked criticism. Notably, the museum did not issue similar warnings for other parts of the exhibit that feature nudity or violent imagery. Texas art publication Glasstire reported in October that the museum also removed promotional banners and billboards advertising the Cowboy exhibition. Furthermore, the museum reportedly canceled several family-oriented programs and events that were originally planned around the exhibit. As of late January, signage advertising Cowboy was absent from the museum’s exterior, and the exhibition is scheduled to run through March 23, 2025.

While the museum has not disclosed the specific works that prompted the content warning, sources within the institution suggested that complaints regarding the sexual identity depicted in the exhibit contributed to the decision. During a Zoom meeting with the museum’s curators, Esparza and Guerrero were told that some museum visitors had expressed discomfort with the LGBTQ+ content of the exhibition. Staff members at the museum reportedly expressed surprise at the decision to close the exhibit temporarily and relaunch it with the content warning.

A museum spokesperson issued a statement acknowledging the controversy, explaining that the decision to add the warning was made to “give visitors a chance to preview the works in advance.” The museum emphasized that it strives to consider community feedback and suggested that the changes were made in response to concerns raised by visitors. Additionally, the museum indicated that some family and homeschool events related to the exhibition had been adjusted to reflect the feedback.

 

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Esparza, in an interview with KERA, called the content warning “a form of censorship,” pointing out that the decision seemed to target their artwork simply because it portrayed two men dancing together. He questioned why a depiction of a Black cowboy or a woman riding a horse would not warrant a similar warning, calling the situation absurd. “What would it feel like for an artist if someone came in and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to invite you to see the show, but I have to warn you, you’re going to see a painting of a Black cowboy,’” Esparza remarked during an artist talk at the museum.

Guerrero echoed Esparza’s sentiments, stating that museums should create space for queer joy and celebration, especially when the content of their work is not harmful. “Our project is just two men dancing together, and there’s no harm in that,” he said. Guerrero also pointed out that museums frequently display works that deal with themes of slavery and colonization, yet queer narratives and expressions of love are often relegated to the margins.

The decision by the Amon Carter Museum has sparked a larger conversation about the role of museums in representing diverse identities and the balance between community sensitivities and artistic freedom. As museums continue to navigate issues of representation, it remains to be seen how institutions will handle works that challenge traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and race in the future.

For now, Esparza and Guerrero’s artwork, along with the rest of the Cowboy exhibition, continues to be on display at the museum, serving as a reminder of the complexities surrounding representation in contemporary art and culture.