Writing
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Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance
Delving deeply into the ways in which incarcerated artists create meaning through their artistic practice, Paul explains how the making, sharing, and formation of artistic friendships within prisons can constitute acts of resistance against the violence and banality of prison life. Most of the artists did not make art before coming to prison. Their accomplishments show that art making need not be a privilege of the few, but is rather a basic human need, and in these circumstances, a necessary means of survival.
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What we can learn about isolation from prison artists
Published in The Conversation
June 9, 2020
Article by Janie about working with artists in prison during the pandemic.
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By the Light of Other Suns
Published in Gulf Coast Journal of Literature and Fine Arts
Article by Janie about the experience of living outside prison while working with artists in prison.
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Doing Time, Making Space
Written for the Tenth Annual Exhibition of Artist in Michigan Prisons with Buzz Alexander, this publication describes prison artists’ processes and how they use art to resist dehumanization.
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“This Is Our Bridge... And We Built It Ourselves!”
The Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners, The Michigan Independent, 2007
Written with Buzz Alexander, this publication describes the selection visits at prisons, including specific experiences with artists and staff.