May 1
Meet the Newest Reimagining Reentry Fellows
by: Laura Kochman
by: Laura Kochman
Portraits of Justice by Russell Craig and Jesse Krimes (detail). Photo by Steve Weinik.
While serving a 6-year term in federal prison, artist Jesse Krimes didn’t just keep up his artistic practice—he shared it with his peers, establishing an art program within the prison. Five years after his release, he’s still working to support other formerly-incarcerated artists, whether through class-action lawsuits or multidisciplinary fellowship programs.
That’s what Reimagining Reentry is all about: mentorship and support of formerly-incarcerated artists, by people who have shared their experiences. The Reimagining Reentry Fellows understand the systems that their work seeks to dismantle, and will create new public artwork to shift the narrative around criminal justice and incarceration.
This spring, the second cohort of Fellows has just begun developing their projects. Their work-in-progress will be part of an exhibition in early 2020, alongside work from other formerly-incarcerated artists. Curated by Krimes, here are the eight 2019 Reimagining Reentry Fellows.
Reginald Dwayne Betts (with Titus Kaphar)
Artist Russell Craig working on the Portraits of Justice mural in his studio. Photo by Steve Weinik.
Michelle Jones (with Deborah Willis)
Titus Kaphar (with Reginald Dwayne Betts)
Deborah Willis (with Michelle Jones)
Read more about the first Reimagining Reentry Fellowship cohort at WHYY.
Reimagining Reentry is funded by the Art for Justice Fund, a recently launched initiative founded by Agnes Gund in collaboration with the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Click here for a full list of partners.
Last updated: May 1, 2019
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