“Imagining a World Without Prisons” Art Show

As the prison crisis in the United States escalates, more Americans are asking for alternatives to the system of incarceration that currently has 2.5 million people behind bars. This November, an Oakland art show will address on this question through artists who are very familiar with the subject - prisoners and their loved ones.

The Prison Activist Resource Center, an Oakland-based support organization for prisoners and activists, is organizing the exhibition "Imagining A World Without Prisons" to forge a collective vision of a society in which prisons would not be needed and could not be justified.

"PARC's art show functions as a conduit for cultural expression from the inside," says PARC coordinator Trinh Le. "Despite and in opposition to an increasingly repressive prison regime, prisoner art has flourished as a primary mode of resistance for individuals looking to challenge the dehumanizing effects of the prison system and the prison discourse."

The show will feature a variety of visual and literary work submitted by prisoners, former prisoners, and their family members. It will also have an opening night, where speakers and performers will address the prison crisis and the role of art. An art corner will also be provided, where viewers can express their creative vision of a world without prisons.

"As a resource center, we imagine the art show to be a place to gather and exchange information on prisons through the artists who know the system from the inside," says Jess Klatzker who is organizing the art show and a volunteer at PARC." Two years ago, in collaboration with a collective of artists from San Francisco's Mission district, PARC organized another art show titled El Hoyo Seco, meaning "the dry hole."

The Prison Activist Resource Center offers programs that perform outreach, public education, and prisoner support. They also produce a resource directory and national website. Their work builds networks for action that expose human rights violations while fundamentally challenging the rapid expansion of the prison industrial complex

Speakers for the opening night include Bo Brown and Linda Evans - former political prisoners and artists - and Daniel Cross, Director of Girls in the Hall. Music performers include Mindzeye Collective, Molotov Mouths, Unified Theory, La Paz, DJ Cynic, DJ Cristoph, DJ B Real, and DJ Prana.


For more information please call 510-893-4648 x114.