Defender Association Art Sale Raises Over $11k for Incarcerated Artists

In collaboration with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Mural Arts’ Restorative Justice team organized an art sale on November 29, 2023, featuring works by justice-impaired artists. The annual exhibition was held on-site at the Defender Association, where their staff, family, and friends of the artists came together to celebrate and support the work of these individuals. With Mural Arts project managers and Thomas Innes of the Defender Association, Cody Stuhltrager curated and installed a successful exhibition and sale. The event sold over $11,000 worth of artwork, about $4,000 more than the prior year! All of the proceeds from the Art Sale go directly back to each artist.

Exhibiting artists included the current Reimagining Reentry Fellow, Mark Loughney, and Suave Gonzalez, a former juvenile lifer now a Pulitzer prize-winning podcaster and artist, in addition to artists we work with at SCI Phoenix. Cody shared statements on behalf of these incarcerated artists, and one artist’s sister was also able to share some words of appreciation for her brother and the restorative justice community.  It was an exciting and uplifting experience for everyone involved!  Stay tuned for our next exhibition of artwork by incarcerated artists at Paradigm Gallery this spring!