Beauty Behind Bars: The Transformative Power of Art in Confinement

An Outreach Exhibit

Featuring visual art and poetry by Clients of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS)

Fernard Strowbridge · Arlis Hicks-Bey · Curtis Dickson
David Watkins · Harry Ellis · Keith Starr · LaVander Williams · Mark Johnson · Melvin Jones · Richard Johnson · Preston Logan · Ernest Heath · William Hurwitz · Greg Bolden ·

Curated by Anokhi Shah & LaVander Williams

Hosted by Studio Gallery and sponsored by PDS and Returning Citizens Assistance Network (RCAN)

Thursday, January 2nd through Saturday, January 25th, 2025

Beauty Behind Bars: The Transformative Power of Art in Confinement presents a collection of evocative, poignant and beautiful pieces created by incarcerated artists, each a powerful meditation on resilience, hope, and the human capacity for change. This groundbreaking exhibit allows audiences to see beyond prison walls into artists’ lives, shaped by reflection and the quest for connection through their enduring creativity. Curated by a formerly incarcerated artist and a public defender, this exhibit strives to affirm the humanity of incarcerated artists and demonstrate art’s profound and curative roles in the lives of people who have lost their freedom. Each piece challenges stereotypes and the all too unforgiving narratives about incarcerated persons. They bear witness to the transformative and redemptive power of art, even in the most inhumane of conditions.

To donate to this effort click here. Select Dropdown Option 5 “RCAN Returning Citizens Contribution”. Enter payment information. In the comments, write Beauty Behind Bars. You must write this to ensure that your money goes to the artist’s commissary.

“Tough times do not last, but tough people do. My mantra is positive consistency, striving to do right regardless of one’s circumstances.” —Fernard Strowbridge

“I’ve always been driven to create something out of nothing.” —Arlis Hicks-Bey

“Every human being has something to give back to this world.” —Arlis Hicks-Bey

"Inspiration can hit at the darkest times" —Jovan James

“Free to me means living in this world and the next mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically in harmony with myself and others.” —Curtis Dickson

“Art has been a type of meditation that permits me to go beyond these walls that physically confine me… it’s a way to relax and find tranquility.” —David Watkins

“Art saved my life.” —Harry Ellis

“I seek to move beyond metaphor; to strip away the layers of abstraction and expose the raw nerve of injustice. I intend to force a confrontation—to leave the viewer with an unsettling awareness of the carceral system’s devastating consequences.” —Harry Ellis

“Just because we feel abandoned or feel as though we don’t have the same privileges, or aren’t as fortunate, doesn’t mean we don’t have potential. It doesn’t mean we can’t accomplish goals. It doesn’t mean we can’t progress in life.” —Keith Starr

“I believe in the profound impact art can have in bringing people together and fostering understanding across diverse backgrounds.” —LaVander Williams, co-curator

“Art is spiritual and brings me peace.” —Mark Johnson

“Art and music helped keep my mind busy and gave me something to look forward to each day. I’d think, ‘if I can get through one day, I can get through another.’” —Melvin Jones

“My poems are about coming out of the darkness I’ve been in my whole life.” —Richard Johnson

“Mr. Logan’s participation in this art exhibit has lit a fire and he is excited to share his art with the world.”

“Although I’ve made some bad decisions earlier in life, I’m still useful.” —Ernest Heath

”I want the viewers to know that my art  represents how I used the time  I have been incarcerated  to become the best version of myself without time getting the best of me, and that I destroyed my negative self to rise in a positive form created by the constant pressure of my environment.”—Ernest Heath

“Prison life afforded Mr. Hurwitz a richer social and cultural life then he expected would be possible during incarceration”

“Opaque. Which stands for: On passion and quest, use everything. Forever opaque” - Greg Bolden