October 14 – December 4, 2011
The Lewisburg Prison Project, a social justice advocacy group, produced this exhibition with the hope that viewers may consider what lies beyond the “prisoner” stereotype. One in every 32 adults is currently incarcerated, or on parole or probation in the U.S. (BJS, 2009). The nightly news and blockbuster thrillers lead many of us to believe that all people who serve time behind bars are incurably violent and evil, but this is far from the truth. What would we find if we looked past our stereotypes? Are we able to see inmates’ capacity forlove, personal growth, and even kindness? This exhibition is not meant to condone prisoners’ illegal actions, but to foreground the humanity that is evidenced in their artwork.
Freehand is comprised of artworks produced by inmates at Pennsylvania correctional institutions at the county, state, and federal levels. The goal of this exhibition, through presenting the talents of Pennsylvania inmates, is to promote a dialogue of ideas between prisoners and those on the “outside.” For inmates, the act of creating is a source of productivity, self-esteem, identity, and mental peace—qualities that are not easily obtained within the prison. Longtime prison art instructor, Phyllis Kornfeld observes, “In one form of another, almost all prison inmates are making (art) or buying it. It appears to be crucial to spiritual and practical survival.”
While prison art programs no longer enjoy the level of support they had in recent decades, inmates continue to draw, sculpt, and paint. Several studies show that inmates who participate in art programs maintain better behavior while serving their sentences, and that engagement with the arts helps inmates transition more successfully back into society. Very few of the artists in Freehand have formal training in art, but many create prolifically. Their work engages fundamental aspects of life: family, politics, sexuality, nature, and religion. Through the visual language of their artwork, this exhibition allows inmates a rare opportunity to share their values and ideas with those beyond the prison walls, and allows us to reexamine our assumptions.
Guest Curator Shawna Meiser
Programming:
October 24, 2011
7 pm
Film: Shakespeare Behind Bars
Gallery Theatre
3rd floor of the Elaine Langone Center
November 8, 2011
7pm
Lecture by Phyllis Kornfeld on Criminal Justice and the Arts
Gallery Theatre
3rd floor of the Elaine Langone Center
For further information contact Cynthia Peltier at peltier@bucknell.edu
Image caption: Leonard Peltier – Ghost Bear, Yanton Lakota, 11 x 14″