New Mexico mayor to donate $10K for eyed Judy Chicago museum

BELEN, N.M. – The mayor of a small New Mexico city has announced he will donate a year of his salary to help open a museum in town dedicated to a feminist artist.

KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reports Belen Mayor Jerah Cordova recently announced he would give around $10,000 toward an effort to erect a museum celebrating artist Judy Chicago.

The contemporary artist backed out of a deal with the city of Belen to open a museum showcasing her art following a backlash. Some resident protested the museum idea and said Chicago’s artistic focus on female genitalia would be “inappropriate” for children.

But supporters began an online drive to raise money for the museum.

Chicago, a Belen resident, has garnered international acclaim for her work.

Cordova says the museum would help spark economic development in the city.

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Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com