UNT Shuts Down Latino-Focused Art Exhibition Amid DEI Backlash

Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez’s exhibition “Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá — Neither from Here Nor from There” opened at the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton on Feb. 3, 2026. The show featured large, brightly colored resin “I.C.E. pops” shaped like Mexican paletas, each encasing objects such as handcuffs, replica firearms and rosaries to comment on immigrant labor and identity. Within days, university administrators ordered the exhibition’s removal, and the show was closed without public explanation.

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The exhibition had previously toured Boston University, where it received a positive reception. Its arrival at UNT coincided with a statewide push to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at public colleges. In 2023, the Texas Senate passed legislation abolishing DEI initiatives at state-funded universities, including UNT. Independent arts journalist Adam Schrader linked the shutdown to this broader trend, noting similar DEI rollbacks from Florida to Ohio.

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Curator Deja Belardo said the university “immediately saw the value of Victor’s work and being responsive to what was happening around us,” emphasizing the artist’s intent to “tell a story about immigrants and their labor, and all of the work that they do in the shadows.” UNT declined to comment when contacted for an explanation of the closure.

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Faculty members drafted an unsigned open letter protesting the removal. Student Jenny Yanez, a recent graduate, described a campus atmosphere of “walking on eggshells” that left artists “very nervous.” She added that peers felt the administration was “asking for our money, but won’t give us answers.” The shutdown also prompted graduating seniors to abandon the traditional on-campus graduation show, opting instead for independent venues in Denton and Dallas.

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• “When you're a child finishing your ice cream, there was sometimes a stamp or a joke that was put onto the popsicle stick,” — Victor Quiñonez, Artist

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• “I think it'll be easier to manage any barking from our friends in Austin.” — Michael McPherson, Former Provost, UNT

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• “It comes after a lot of discourse politically around diversity, equity and inclusion at universities and just free speech in general at universities, art displays, at campuses from Florida to Texas and across the nation,” — Adam Schrader, Independent Arts Journalist

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• “It's not like they were directly censored,” — Adam Schrader

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• “I feel like everyone is acting like they're walking on eggshells and they feel very nervous as artists,” — Jenny Yanez, UNT Graduate

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• “My friends were definitely feeling like, 'You guys want our money, but you won't give us answers,” — Jenny Yanez

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