» Elaine Ayala says arts panel works in mysterious ways.

The Centro de Artes Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to reverse a hastily made decision by the city’s arts and culture Director Debbie Raccasittre, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston and City Attorney Andy Segovia to remove a controversial video from an exhibit.

All three decided last week to remove the performance arts video, “Spictable II: Tortillera” by artist Xandra Ibarra, from an exhibition that runs through June 28 at Centro de Artes Gallery at Market Square.

Together, or “collaboratively,” as they put it, they called the work obscene and out of step with community standards. In the burlesque-style video, Ibarra simulates masturbation. But it’s clearly a simulation, and the video in its entirety has an artistic and satiric purpose.

The Centro de Artes Committee recommended the video be reinstalled in an exhibition whose goal is expressed in its title: “Xicanx: New Visions.” It’s an inclusive collection of Xicanx work, post-chicano Movement.

Its curators, Suzy Gonzalez and Michael Menchaca, have defended Ibarra’s piece, calling the city’s decision censorship. They’ve explained the work as one that addresses homophobia, nationalism and sexism with critical wit. They say the city’s decision was discriminatory toward queer, Latinx, feminist, sexual expression.

The committee’s vote was a relief. It suggested the members don’t see Ibarra’s work as obscene or outside community standards. Today’s standards have evolved from those of the past.

While some city leaders may argue the video’s content is too explicit, artists and others contend the criticism stems from an anti-lgbt perspective that sees heterosexual content as the norm.

If anyone at Tuesday’s meeting enjoyed a full sigh of relief, however, I didn’t see it.

Questions were left unanswered about how the incident evolved over such a short period of time; what the city’s attorneys said or didn’t say; why city officials reacted as they did to art created from a queer perspective; and whether an ANTI-LGBTQIA+ bias was at work.

Racca-sittre told the committee she feared putting the Centro de Artes gallery at risk of public outcry by allowing the video to appear in a 45-minute loop with other videos.

She was worried, despite the fact videos are screened in a small room in the back of the gallery; a thick, black curtain serves as a door; and signage clearly warns “viewer discretion” is required.

Hers was an overreaction, plain and simple.

The question is whether the city will continue to overreact to art with sexual content that in the past has appeared in local galleries and museums behind black curtains and careful signage.

Yet on Wednesday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg seemed to ignore the routine ways in which galleries and museums operate.

“While I strongly support free artistic expression, this film would be in a public venue open to families and children,” he said. “It is incumbent upon us to maintain an environment appropriate for families in this situation.”

That was disappointing coming from a politician who purports to be a progressive.

Equally disappointing and confusing are the levels of bureaucracy the show’s curators may have to overcome.

If I understood correctly, the Centro de Artes Committee was told that its recommendation to reinstall the video goes next to the city’s Arts Commission on March 10.

Should the video pass inspection there, it was told, the issue could be handed off to the Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee, which then would punt to the City Council, if necessary.

How quickly all that will happen is unclear.

Racca-sittre’s department issued several statements Wednesday:

“City Council or the Culture and Neighborhood Services committee reviews and considers overall policies and process related to the city’s art program and associated exhibits and initiatives,” it reads.

“However, the (City) Council does not review or consider the selection of specific artwork for display. The director of the Department of Arts and Culture makes the decision on what artwork will be displayed.”

Later, it offered another statement: “The director will wait for the Arts Commission’s discussion. The San Antonio Arts Commission is an advisory body, and the director will strongly consider their recommendation.”

The decision comes back to Racca-sittre, who, with the help of her superiors, helped make the call to pull Ibarra’s video in the first place.

Meantime, the attention that should have been lavished on two concurrent exhibits at Centro de Artes has been consumed by an avoidable controversy. That, too, rests with the city’s arts and culture director.