Justice Arts Coalition Blog

Artist Spotlight: Cedar Annenkovna

"I am a naturalist, activist, chef, poet, freestyle cage fighter, and outdoorsperson...I go to sleep every night looking at photos of my dogs. We have a pack. I’m the leader. We need to be together." Artist Cedar Annenkovna

The Hamilton Project

by Guy La”Tron” Banks, a.k.a Tronee Threat It’s two a.m. I can’t sleep. I find myself inside the restroom stall of the dorm I share with 200 other men, but no one happens to be in here with me and it is quiet enough to hear my thoughts and feel my emotions. I throw on …

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Who is Mark Andreason?

by Mark Andreason* The question has been coming up a lot lately. I enjoy creating art, but I know that I am more than my work. I create the art to escape from this life I have been leading behind bars. It has been a horrible experience, and I would not wish it upon anyone, …

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The Becomings of a Master, Part 3: Hiatus

"...I see beauty in all things though once upon a time all I saw was ugliness."

A guest’s reflections on the Iron Cages exhibition

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
― Abraham Lincoln

Teaching artist spotlight: Hakim Bellamy

Hakim Bellamy was the inaugural Poet Laureate of Albuquerque (2012-14) and facilitates youth writing workshops for schools, jails, churches, prisons and community organizations in New Mexico and beyond. JAC: How have your students impacted your teaching practices and even your own art? HB: Good teachers are comfortable at the front of the room talking. Better …

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Oculus: Of A Place Unseen

by Michelle Repiso The location: on the school bus  The scene: Lorton Correctional Facility While riding the bus to high school I would make it a point to look to my right and imagine what it must feel like to be incarcerated. I would also visually explore the grounds thinking I would witness someone escaping …

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The Becomings of a Master, Part 2: Bohemia

by R. Zumar Really, I don’t know where to start. How can I explain this to you so that you may understand what I’m going through. I’ve written and erased, written and erased again trying to find the right words to say, but really there are none. The only thing to do is explain what …

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Reflections from JAC’s Founding Director in Response to Anti-Asian Violence

Black Lives Matter