by Melissa Wang, JAC Intern I send this one out To all the homeboys down in, uh, Clinton lockdown Rikers Island, all them dudes I was, uh, locked up with E block, F block, lower H N-I-C in Rikers Island Downstate All the peoples I met along the way Better days is comin’ homeboy, keep …

Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Daniel Martinez

JAC is proud to feature the work of Kenneth Reams, an artist and activist who has been incarcerated on death row for twenty-seven years. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and in order to raise money for his ongoing fight for freedom, Kenneth is auctioning off this 8.5″ x 11″ framed portrait of …

Continue reading Kenneth Reams: Workshop and Art Auction

by Joslyn Lapinski, JAC Intern At just 15 years old, Derrick Grantley was incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. At 17, he was placed into solitary confinement, where he has remained for 21 consecutive years. “With no end in sight, I am still fighting my case in the court,” Derrick tells us. Day …

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JAC recently spoke with Nate Fish, founder of the Brick of Gold Publishing Company. Brick of Gold publishes the art and writing of incarcerated people and offers art, copy, direction, design, video, and print services. Since 2016, they’ve published three books containing work from incarcerated artists.  Words Uncaged, 128-G: Art and Writing from a California …

Continue reading Nate Fish: Brick of Gold

JAC recently spoke with Casper Cendre, co-founder and director of A.B.O. Comix. A.B.O. is a collective of creators and activists who work to amplify the voices of LGBTQ prisoners through art. By working closely with prison abolitionist and queer advocacy organizations, they aim to keep queer prisoners connected to outside community and help them in …

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by Chris Trigg It’s a good thing we’ve got windows or we’d never see the sun. The virus leaped the wall and settled in amongst us. Not that we were sunkissed before it crept in. We’ve been in a state of modified lockdown since march. The modified meaning we got an hour out of our …

Continue reading Guest Blog: Chris Trigg

Joel Bergner (aka Joel Artista) is the CEO and Co-Founder of the non-profit organization Artolution, through which he trains and supports local artists in vulnerable communities to lead their own community art programs, affecting the lives of thousands of children each year. Artolution partners with UNICEF, the International Rescue Committee, UNHCR and other agencies to …

Continue reading Teaching Artist Spotlight: Joel Bergner

As 2020 comes to an end, we are proud to share a snapshot of what the Justice Arts Coalition has accomplished this year. We couldn’t have done it without you – our readers, community members, and supporters! We’re excited to announce that we have launched a redesign of our virtual galleries, now featuring over 200 …

Continue reading JAC’s 2020 Wrapped