September 11-17, 2003

artpicks

Creativity in Confinement

Art

Created to educate the general population about the often-harrowing complexities of incarceration, the Contexts project debuts its latest "behind bars" exhibition, "Creativity in Confinement." Books Through Bars, the parent organization to Contexts, delivered over 8,000 packages of books last year to prisoners. Expanding their reach by establishing another creative outlet for prisoners, the organization continues to reject the cycle of violence and crime in the American justice system. Working from statistics that say recidivism rates fall dramatically when the jailed mind is engaged, the project will show work by more than 100 imprisoned artists; the walls will be decked with everything from pencil and ink works to acrylics, watercolors, collage and sculpture. A Philadelphia-based artist and a Texas-based artist in prison collaborated on a work about the challenges a prisoner faces when trying to maintain contact with "the outside." A map of the U.S. with symbols representing every state and federal facility illuminate this country's ever-growing detention center birthrate. An inset depicts Philadelphia's rate. Two recently released prisoner/artists will speak at the opening reception and workshops will run during the course of the exhibit.

“Creativity in Confinement,” Sept. 12-Nov. 6, opening reception Fri., Sept. 12, 5:30-7 p.m, Klein Gallery, 3600 Market St., 215-727-8170.

—Ainé Ardron-Doley

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