Welcome to the newest gallery in JAC’s Gallery of the Month series, where we showcase a wide range of art and writing under unique monthly themes. Check back on the first of each month for a new collection of works by the talented artists in the JAC network. To view past galleries of the month, see our Gallery Archive.
This month marks the two year anniversary of JAC’s Gallery of the Month series, and we couldn’t be prouder of the 24 unique and thoughtful collections of art we have been able to put together. Over the past 2 years, the Gallery of the Month team has had many different co-curators, each of whom have brought a new and special care, vision, and creativity to the project.
JAC’s website and online galleries have evolved greatly. In 2020, artwork was organized in numbered galleries titled “1-15,” categorized in the order it was received. As the number of pieces featured on the JAC website continued to grow exponentially, we knew we needed a new way to display and honor each and every work of art. This led to the development of our portfolios and themed galleries that are available for viewership on the website today. Gallery of the Month was born from the desire to highlight a rotating selection of art, as well as a way to continue placing pieces in conversation with one another.
Gallery of the Month allows us to continually revisit the art on our website, finding new meanings and connections with each monthly theme. Writing about each gallery gives us time to stop, step back, and reflect on the themes, subjects, styles, and emotions that arise in each artwork. This month, we reflect on 9 of our favorite galleries from the past 2 years, showcasing some highlights from each one. We invite you to join us in our trip down memory lane and appreciate the growth that has taken place in the last couple of years. To view these galleries in their entirety, visit the link in the gallery title.
We hope you enjoy this month’s gallery: Here’s to Two Years!
Life Inside
We cannot forget the lives and stories of those who are cast aside and denied a voice. We must continue to fight for true justice and amplify the voices of those impacted by mass incarceration.
Muses
Whether it be recurring themes within artwork, influential loved ones and icons, or simply something that sparks the desire to create, it is important that we showcase that which is most important to the artists JAC works with.
Mother Earth
Abolition, restorative justice, and a global healing of our land cannot be achieved without the centering of Indigenous Peoples.
Imaginings
Through this gallery, we can see the many different ways that artists look inwards and explore various aspects of the fantastic and surreal.
Birds of Freedom
For many, birds represent this freedom, and their creation, an illustration of the way in which one’s spirit, voice, and heart’s expression can never truly be confined. From sketches to oil paintings, you will find that as you view this gallery, there is a diverse array of this expression and of what it means to be free.
Dawn to Dusk
From the first glimmers of dawn to the shimmering gleam of afternoon to the glowing canvas of dusk — there is so much wonder to be found in a single day.
A Tune for June
“A Tune for June” is based on the inspirational power of music and an acknowledgement of the multitude of ways that we experience art.
Witty Works
And beyond the power of comedic relief, the mediums associated with comedy can provide incredible outlets for processing and expressing one’s emotions. This release can prove particularly healing in carceral settings which typically foster dehumanizing and emotionally stifling atmospheres.
Grayscale
Notice how each piece in this gallery portrays a relationship between light and dark. Now look closer: consider the role that light shading and subtle transitions into deep blacks play in conveying form, depth — even luminescence. We encourage you to take special note of the details revealed through shadows and shading.
A Rainbow of Art
The frequency with which facilities prohibit materials that provide color, such as paints, pastels, and markers has meant that for so many artists, color is a treasured item and an opportunity for special creativity.
