The Art as Resistance Virtual Gallery seeks to highlight the creative contributions of individuals fighting to design their own freedom and liberation from within the confines of incarceration as well as within the confines that constrict from outside of the prison walls.

In United States prisons where individuals who speak out against an unjust system are silenced through the use of solitary confinement, art can be a tool to subvert all forms of state sanctioned silencing.  The Art as Resistance virtual gallery pulls together the work of those most impacted by policing and prisons as well as community organizers to lift up the voices of those who have been silenced and our communities.

The theme of the 2018 Art as Resistance gallery was Lines Traveled: Re-entry as a Process, Not a Product. Through this theme we emphasized the concept of liberation as a journey rather than a destination, and that while our goals may drive us, our path is what impacts us.

We are building on that theme this year by focusing on the continuity of our stories. Part the journey of liberation is telling our story and being heard, to express for ourselves the change and also the continuity between our past and our future.

When we hold the power to forge our stories by establishing that continuum between our past, present and future, when we are heard by our community, we recapture the narrative of our lives. We have power in our redemption and our growth. From this can come the changing of systems and changing of the world.

This year, we are attempting to curate a fully multidisciplinary gallery space. We are accepting visual art, poetry, ceramics, spoken word, music, and mixed media submissions. Pieces in the form of words, images and video will be displayed on our website, showcased on our social media, and featured during our virtual conference. Additionally, select artists may have an opportunity to speak on their piece and the role of art in the fight to end mass incarceration.

The submissions should be accompanied by brief descriptions that explain the time in the lives of the artist in which the piece was created or incubated. Included in the descriptions should be short information about how that particular time impacted that piece of art or other works done during that period? How did it impact you as an artist/person mentally, physically, emotionally?
 
For more information please contact:
Marlon MacAllister at mmacallister@fight.org | 215-525-0460 x362

• The deadline for application is no later than Monday, August 31, 2020  

• You will receive word of your acceptance within 2 weeks of the deadline.

• Submit your application below.

• If accepted please submit a high-resolution photo or video file of your art, or a Word or PDF document of your writing, by Monday, September 14.

• The Virtual Summit will be held from October 5-9. Each day is devoted to a different topic in Prison Justice. The day devoted to arts will be Friday, October 9. We will be in contact about specifics as we build out the schedule of the week.

• Hosting a digital gallery is new to us. If you have any concerns or specific desires around placement, framing, or other virtual display needs for your work, please contact us and let us know.