By John Zenc  “The drawing of the boy who only wanted to be loved is in memory of Timy, my best friend. Timy was born with no hands, and oversized eyes. Hazel in color. Looking in Timy’s eyes, you could see his soul, see the pain, the fear, the love. Timy would come to school, …

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JAC is excited to announce the opening of MoMA’s PS1 “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Incarceration”, an exhibit running from September 17th, 2020 – April 4th, 2021. As described on the MoMA website, “this major exhibition explores the work of artists within US prisons and the centrality of incarceration to contemporary art and …

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By Christian Trigg In the early years of the New Millennium, I was watching a series about famous artists on the little black and white TV in my cell in the federal supermax courtesy of PBS. I don’t know if they even made black and white TVs. The ones issued to us were color TVs. …

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When the world closed, as some describe the widespread shutdown due to Covid 19, many of us with connections to Ohio’s prison system knew we couldn’t just sit back and hope for the best then wait to see our students on the other side of the pandemic. We considered our own lives in isolation. What …

Continue reading Guest Blog: Denise Shumway – The Ohio Prison Arts Connection (OPAC)

Battle Ground by Jameelah Lewis Battle ground. My mom aint never raised no punk, so why would I run? I’m not afraid, I’m not scared. The subtle patterns of people running away to catch their breath. I’m not afraid, I’m not scared. As the smoke in the sky pollutes our lungs and steals our air. I’m …

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We recently talked with Kathleen Greenfield (they/them, she/her), Kate Rubin (she/her), and Emma Zabloski (she/her), our newest additions to the Teaching Artist Spotlight series. In addition to their work with the Justice Arts Coalition, they are also teaching artists and theatrical collaborators with William Head on Stage (WHoS) at William Head Institution in Victoria, BC. William …

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On Friday, August 21st, at 6 PM EST, The People’s Forum will be hosting a virtual event entitled “Art of Innocence: The People’s Struggle To Abolish The Death Penalty” featuring poetry, live musical performances, a panel discussion as well as the artwork and story of Billie J. Allen, an artist currently incarcerated in Federal prison …

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by Christian Trigg I rarely miss a dawn. I missed 20 years worth at the federal supermax so I have an outsized appreciation for all sorts of things many others take for granted. My cell window at the federal penitentiary in Beaumont, TX faces east. I watch the summer sun touch fire to the horizon …

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