“I wish to submit a piece of art that heavily focuses on solidarity and community; specifically the shared humanity and experience of women in the carceral system. I do a lot of thinking, writing, and visual art which focuses on the oppession and injustice of my experience, but this piece attempts to shed light on communal life in total institutions and the significance of those relationships, which is often invaluable.

The piece is titled “Where the Heart Is” and was originally designed as a coloring book page, dealing mostly with line weight and balance. The image has a story to tell that I would like to share with the JAC audience.I am very excited at the prospect of sharing this work and look forward to the success of the convening!”

About the Artist: My name is Carla Joan Simmons and I am serving my 17th year of a life sentence in the state of Georgia. I come from a long line of self-taught artists and from a young age connected with art as an extension of my voice and a method of survival. Currently, I benefit from art as a meditative practice and find that it is my only means of power in this world. Through it I am able to contribute to our culture and share my experience as a person whose life, and family, has been forever altered, and damaged, by the carceral system.