Voices of the Incarcerated - Art for Redemption

Despite the inglorious recognition of the United States as the most incarcerating nation in the world, where over two million people are locked behind bars enduring the degradation and violence of a dehumanizing system, incarcerated people have regained their dignity by creating objects of beauty, meaning, and value through creative expression.

While museums and philanthropic organizations are increasingly interested in showing prison art, many prisons still try to keep it inside and hidden from view. Several years ago, the Trump administration banned Guantánamo Bay prisoners from taking their art with them upon release. The Biden administration has since lifted the ban. Earlier this summer, New York state officials considered new restrictions on prison art, along with writing, music, and other creative work, which they scrapped after public outcry. But many states still try to bar artists from making money from their work, which can be a way to pay for the high cost of phone calls and commissary items.

Prison art reveals the ways incarcerated persons seek to keep their humanity intact. It invites us to reflect on our own humanity and the problem of living in a country that incarcerates more of its population than any other nation in the world. It also invites us to look closely at the images and appreciate the richness of life and luminosity emerging from the darkest corner of our country.

Art for Redemption, in collaboration with The Marshall Project, co-curated a collection of seven incarcerated artists whose works are available for purchase. Joaquin Mares, one of the featured artists and currently incarcerated in Colorado, wrote about his artistic journey;

"I haven't looked back since. Of the many positive gains I've made throughout my incarceration, none have empowered me to realize my potential for change more successfully than the saving grace I have found in art. I now view my life as a testimony to the redemptive power of art, and I am humbled by the ways in which art has abled me to serve others. It is in this manner that I strive to better myself with the hope that I may not only become the artist I aspire to be but also the best person I can be."

Art for Redemption aims to partner with incarcerated artists in taking their talent to the next level as a way to contribute and reconnect with society through humanity's common denominator: creativity. You can view the featured curated collection, and other original artwork on their website.