If you missed the 3rd Edition of The Confined Arts, here’s what you missed!
In it’s third edition, The Confined Arts proved to many that the arts has the power to change perceptions because it can convey humanity and transformation. It has the capacity to elicit an empathic connection from the viewer and the kind of response needed to affect the necessary shift in the contemporary narrative about people with a criminal conviction.
Opportunities and Change and the Justice and Education Initiative at Columbia University hosted The Confined Arts (TCA) 3rd edition. TCA held many in awe over the weekend as it showcased the opening of yet another impactful exhibition. Over 100 pieces of artwork were installed with the intentions of spreading public awareness. Art was created using many mediums and was displayed in several creative ways. Some artwork was displayed on commissary paper and some of the art hung from the ceiling to expose the harsh realities of solitary confinement that so many americans wake up to each day. Artists’ used oils, acrylics, graphite, ballpoint pens, computers, and more to tell the story that many are unaware of. Poets from diverse backgrounds and many parts of the country who are dedicated to public awareness came together for what turned out to be a very informative and impactful weekend. Creative voices who never expected to be released from prison spoke intimately about the possibility of a second chance including poetry written from a man in solitary confinement who told the story of a troubled young man being sentenced to death at 18 years old.
The creative voices at TCA told a different story from the one that summarizes them in terms of the crimes they’ve been convicted of. A story of transformation was told, encouraging all to remember that those who break the law (violently or nonviolently) are people first and that collateral consequences of a criminal conviction are incredibly damaging and should should be ended. The artists highlighted the need for equal opportunities to live productively after experiencing incarceration for people across the country.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE CONFINED ARTS LIVE ON THE AIR