re: PRO (test) AMERICA art opening at the Wheelbarrow Gallery, 3553 Brighton Blvd., Denver, CO., July 4, 2003

John Roos, one of the art show’s featured national painters was detained, searched, and threatened with jail time this morning at the Detroit airport. Roos was traveling with paintings selected for the show.

After checking in with no problems, the artist was paged to a security area and interviewed by TSA and United Airlines employees.

“They claimed their initial concern was with the hanging-wires on my frames,” says Roos, “but when they saw my art, they got kind of emotional and indignant. Their whole tone changed very quickly. One guy told me I was definitely going to have to do jail time and pay fines—all this from looking at my art.”

The art work had been packed and checked-in. Some pieces made use of text “no different from what was printed on every newspaper going on that plane.” The works were labeled with their titles, including ‘Homeland Security,’ ‘Freedom From the Fear of Freedom’ and ‘Dirty Bomb, ’ (the sculpture), and Dirty Bomb the car as a roving chemical-exhaust dispenser. The Detroit TSA was not amused.

No safety threat was found, but the artist was not allowed to fly. No reason was given.

Roos reports: “It seemed like they wanted me to feel like a criminal for making art. They wouldn’t tell me why they were refusing my right to travel, but it was clearly because they were offended by my art, which is actually patriotic.

Currently, Roos’s art can be viewed at Dancing Eye Gallery, 101 North Center Street, Northville, MI

Don't miss an interview with the artist: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 at 8:00p.m.

WTVS/CHANNEL 56 " Mcihigan At Risk" Produced by Robert Burke and Michigan State University

Michigan residents tell first had experiences with the Patriot Act followed by a pannel discussion with Chris Cook.

Copyright © 2005 John Roos. All Rights Reserved