THE Orange Order has demanded a meeting with the Ulster Museum after claiming it has been "demonised" in a painting by an acclaimed Belfast artist.
The Royal Ulster Academy of leading artists last night defended the work, after unionists complained that a small detail portrays Orangemen wearing Ku Klux Klan (KKK) clothing.
The 7ft oil canvas, entitled `Christian Flautists Outside St Patrick's', was the last major painting by north Belfast artist Joseph McWilliams before his death last month aged 76.
Depicting a controversial loyalist flute band marching in circles outside St Patrick's Church on Donegall Street in Belfast city centre, it is one of 310 pieces on display by the Royal Ulster Academy at the Ulster Museum.
It emerged shortly after Mr McWilliams' death that it had won a top award at the annual exhibition, the 'prize for a work depicting the theme of Ireland today', sponsored by the Irish News.
Described by the Arts Council as one of Northern Ireland's "foremost visual artists”, the north Belfast man and his wife Catherine ran the Cavehill Gallery together for the last 30 years.
However, Richard Cairns, vice-chair of the TUV, called yesterday for his St Patrick's painting to be removed from the museum exhibition, which runs until January.
He claimed it was "deeply insulting, offensive and downright inaccurate to suggest that there is some sort of parallel" between the Orange Order and Ku Klux Klan, the American white supremacist organisation whose members wear white pointed hoods.
"While the Orange Order obviously has strong roots in Ulster it is a religious organisation which draws its membership from Protestants across the world, including Africa," he said.
"A publicly funded facility should be welcoming to all sections of society. Sadly the display of this painting does nothing to encourage unionists to see the Ulster Museum as such."
DUP assembly member William Humphrey said he would be meeting with National Museums NI on Monday.
"There is no artistic benefit in depicting members of the Orange Institution as wearing Ku Klux Klan headpieces," he said.
"I have no doubt that were any such insult directed at a broad swathe of people from any other religious or community background that there would be a justified outcry".
The Orange Order said it was also seeking an urgent meeting over what it called the "deliberate demonisation" of its cultural heritage.
"This inaccurate and negative portrayal of the institution comes only months after the Ulster Museum was accused of ‘republican bias’ due to the lack of Ulster Scots and Orange related literature in its bookshop."
But Dr Denise Ferran, president of the Royal Ulster Academy, strongly defended the right of artists to "unfettered expression".
"It is a universal characteristic of art that painting social or political subject matter, works, regrettably, can cause upset to some," she said.
"Art works can be read in many ways but an obscure interpretation of a tiny detail, in a very large painting of a church façade and a pipe band, is no basis for a request to have the painting removed from public exhibition.
"This exhibition has been viewed by thousands, to date, and has received critical acclaim. One telephone complaint was made to which I responded to at length".
A spokeswoman for National Museums Northern Ireland said: "The Ulster Museum is aware that some works may be sensitive and occasionally provocative and as the host venue of this art exhibition, welcomes all feedback from visitors which it will pass on to the Royal Ulster Academy".
