An Arts Gathering That Lifts Up Justice
Artist Gilberto Rivera stands in front of his work at the MoMA PS1 exhibition of Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration. Photo by Erin Baiano

On Sunday, August 1, you’re invited to Spring Hill Arts Gathering (SHAG Festival) in Washington, CT. In collaboration with grantee partners, Right of Return and Worth Rises, Art for Justice and SHAG are proud to present Until Justice is Real. The 4:00-7:00 pm events encompass panels, performance and a large art exhibit. The program focuses on how art and advocacy are disrupting mass incarceration and will be introduced by Catherine Gund, a governing board member of the Fund. There will be ample time for Q & A.

The exhibition component includes nearly 40 objects, some never-before-seen, by artists Mary Baxter, Tameca Cole, Russell Craig, James “Yaya” Hough, Asia Johnson, Jesse Krimes, Mark Loughney, Jared Owens and Gilberto Rivera. It will be installed in the newly-constructed barn at Spring Hill Vineyards (292 Bee Brook Rd, New Preston, CT) and is on view for the duration of the Festival, July 29 – August 1 and August 6 – 8, 2021. The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Nicole R. Fleetwood and artist Jesse Krimes. Many artworks will be for sale, with 100 percent of the proceeds directed to the artists.
Jared Owens is one of the artists showing work at Systemic Impact: Process and Experimentation of (Formerly) Incarcerated Artists on the grounds of the Spring Hill Arts Gathering. Photo by Erin Baiano

A panel, Dismantling the Prison Industry, will scrutinize the $80 billion in state and federal funding that supports incarceration. Worth Rises Founder and Executive Director Bianca Tylek, who recently led the nation’s first successful campaign to make prison and jail communication free in Connecticut, will share their winning strategy. Tylek will be joined by Diane Lewis, community advocate from Hartford and Jewu Richardson, the Co-Director of the Connecticut Bail Fund.
Diane Lewis and Worth Rises’ Bianca Tylek advocate to change exploitative phone charges levied in Connecticut jails and prisons. Photo courtesy of Worth Rises

Building a Movement of Formerly Incarcerated Artists is a panel featuring artists along with the founders of the Right of Return, the first national fellowship supporting formerly incarcerated artists. They will describe efforts to activate art to end mass incarceration through the leadership of system-impacted people. Presenters are Mary Baxter, Russell Craig, Jesse Krimes, Jared Owens and Gilberto Rivera. The panel will include a live performance by Mary Baxter and be moderated by Dr. Nicole R. Fleetwood, a writer, curator, and the inaugural James Weldon Johnson Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU. She is the author of Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration (2020), winner of the National Book Critics Award in Criticism.
Adult tickets for the full-day event are $45 and available for purchase on SHAG’s website, but sliding fee options are also available. Interested parties may email SHAG at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) for affordable tickets. Those unable to attend ticketed events may arrange a free art exhibition visit during the week of August 2nd. Art for Justice is grateful for SHAG’s support of the Fund and its grantee partners. This promises to be a wonderful event!

About Worth Rises
Worth Rises is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it touches. It works to expose the commercialization of the criminal legal system and advocate and organize to protect and return the economic resources extracted from affected communities. Worth Rises aims to pave a road toward a safe and just world free of police and prisons by leading campaigns that equip consumers, investors, public agents, elected officials, advocates and the public with the tools to fight those who profit from our carceral crisis.

About Right of Return
This fellowship program invests in formerly incarcerated artists, supporting the creation of original works produced in partnership with advocates and organizers to further criminal justice reform efforts. Approaching the subject from lived experience, formerly incarcerated artists powerfully translate complex and nuanced ideas into powerful experiences, helping audiences move toward action. Right of Return seeks to embed artists within the movement, resulting in more creative solutions to reducing mass incarceration, making visible the human toll of incarceration, educating America about racial bias, and building public will for further reforms.

About Spring Hill Arts Gathering (SHAG)
The SHAG produces public programs that connect artists with nature, nurture diverse perspectives through creative collaborations and conversations, and share abundance within the Washington, CT community. Founded by Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia, this multi-day outdoor and semi-enclosed cultural program has a robust schedule of events from late July until early August. Learn more at www.springhillartsgathering.com ([link removed]) . #springhillartsgathering

About Art for Justice Fund
Art for Justice was founded in 2017 by Agnes Gund to end mass incarceration in the United States and the racism that drives it. This initiative, which will conclude in 2023, has already disbursed $90 million to radically reimagine and build a future of shared safety. To date, Art for Justice has made grants to 200+ artists, advocates and organizations.
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