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Image Description: The piece depicts a closeup of a person looking towards the slot on a prison door where food would be passed, as they do when you are in solitary confinement.  One hand is curled under the side of their cheek, the other is reaching towards the slot. The tones of the image range from tan to dark brown. The brown paper is crinkled catching the light.

General Description: Solitary was done by using the instant coffee packets found in the “lockdown bags” (breakfast bags given during a typical lockdown). This piece shows a portrait of someone looking through the food slot while being held in a solitary confinement unit. People in solitary are held for 23 hours a time and let out for one hour day into a giant cage for "rec".

Artist Bio: Todd “Hyung Rae” Tarselli has been in prison for over 27 years. He was sentenced to life without possibility of parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. Born in South Korea, Hyung Rae’s parents died when he was just a child. At the age of 5, he entered an orphanage, where his birthdate was inaccurately recorded as 6-years old, due to a mistake in interpreting cultural age counting. Korean culture considers a child 1-year old on the day of birth while the U.S. does not. This cultural difference in counting age was not properly accounted for during his adoption. Hyung Rae was adopted by an American family in 1980 and struggled to adjust to the new culture, family, environment, and community. In 1992, he pled guilty to a robbery and murder. Because of the age counting error, Hyung Rae was listed as 18 years old and charged as an adult, which impacted his life sentence in Pennsylvania.

Hyung-Rae has been in collaboration with some of Let’s Get Free’s members for 20 years and is a tireless artist for the movement.

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/instant-coffee-by-todd-hyung-rae-tarselli/

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Image Description:  A painting that appears to be on the back of a canvas with a white border and staples around the edge. At the bottom of the canvas, the artist’s last name, “Yaphit” is painted in small green lettering. On the left side of the painting itself, there is a young Black student visible from the torso up who is wearing a dark gray graduation cap and gown. The student has brown eyes, and black locs in a ponytail, held together by a red barrette or ponytail holder. Some of the locs are not pulled back and instead frame their face. There is a single tear coming from their eye, and their mouth and nose are covered by a medical mask. To the right, there is black and red lettering with the text: “Class of COVID-19,” with the “O” in the word “of” depicted as a circular “no” symbol. In smaller lettering at the bottom right, there are two hashtags, one reads: #StayHome and the other reads #NoSchool. There is a painted border of brown, red, & orange flames on the painting’s top, right, and a portion of the bottom.

General Description: This piece depicts the that was making it 12 years to graduation, only to be denied walking across the stage, and participating in graduation with outer peers.

Artist Bio: Born and raised in Homewood, pa, this artist of many mediums, strives to create and educate kids like where he’s from, on artistic opportunities and careers.

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Image Description: This piece was done with a ballpoint pen on the back of a folder. A white woman with straight hair and glasses looks out at the viewer, holding a sand hourglass before her, her right hand on top, and her left on the bottom. On her right forearm are the letters ‘PERSPOET-VE’, some of which face different directions. Only her eyes are visible over the top. The top and base of the hourglass are wood, and chains act as the four pillars, surrounding the glass. The top of the hourglass holds a skull, and in the eye sockets are the letters ‘LW’ and ‘OP’. The sand pours from there down on top of a miniature version of the woman who is trapped. The sand spills onto her downturned head and piles up around her as she kneels with one hand against the glass that traps her.

General Description: “…So i thought about it and while sketching a tattoo for someone a light hit me and I was all in. This is what I’ve felt like my 17 years in prison. I survived death row to still be crushed by the sands of time of a life sentence without parole.”

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/an-untimely-death-by-shonda-walters/

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Image Description: A painting with a colorful background and black silhouette-like figures with branches. At the bottom of the painting, there are layered cloud-like shapes in shades of purple, orange, blue, yellow, green, and red with white detailing. About a third of the way up from the bottom, as if emerging from the clouds, is a tree-trunk silhouette on the left side. Toward the top of the canvas, the tree’s branches bend to the right, and from them hang another silhouette, with some tree and human-like features. This figure appears to be swinging from the branches. The background Has brushstrokes of purple, orange, red, and yellow, all going in different directions. On top of them, there are a few thicker brushstrokes of white.

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Image Description: The botflies in this image have stark black and white stripes and black eyes. They are each in their own, polka-dotted cells in a grid of 7 x 6. The dots and backgrounds are bright and festive in their blues, greens, oranges, reds, and pinks. The dots stretch into their neighboring cells with the color-change acting as the border defining each cell.

General Description: “I call these little striped characters Botflies. They’re pupae…and they represent a transitional life stage. Their black and white stripes are indicative of a prisoner, but they seem to have an innate bouncy joyfulness that seems ready to bust out of their shiny chitinous exoskeleton. Prison is a land of repetition and regimentation, so I’ve depicted that in my paintings by organizing my Botflies into rows and columns.”  – Loughney

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/bubblewrap-lockdown-by-mark-loughney/

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All at Once (Of Bees & Butterflies) by Zeal Eva

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All at Once (Of Bees & Butterflies) by Zeal Eva

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Image Description: A lush, layered painting of various bugs, flowers, and other plants in shades of pink, yellow, green, blue, red, and black. In the upper left and right corners, there are 2 large leaves in green and pink, and yellow with a gray background behind them. Directly below on the left, there is a blue, yellow, and red butterfly positioned in front of a black leaf. To the right, there are a variety of layered leaves and caterpillars in shades of green and pink. The bottom third of the painting has a large swatch of green with blue and red dots, as well as some smaller, darker leaves of various shapes on top of it. It is layered on top of pink and yellow.

Artist Bio: Zeal Eva, also known as Vania Evangelique, is a painter, photographer, curator, and arts educator whose work is deeply rooted in personal history and the histories of the communities in which she works. Originally from Bethlehem, PA, Zeal Eva is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA. Zeal Eva’s artwork tells stories of home and celebrates the black experience through the use of digital and film photography, painting and illustration. Zeal Eva’s artwork has been exhibited in solo exhibitions including, Today// Yesterday at Bunker Projects and Where Flowers Bloom at Thoughtrobbers Gallery. Zeal Eva has been a collaborator with organizations including the Associated Artist of Pittsburgh, Boom Concepts, Assemble Gallery, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Ace Hotel, and Brew House Association. Zeal Eva is currently an Artist-in-Residence  at Brew House Association and a member of the Coloured Section Arts.

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Solidarity Builds Change by Charmaine Pfender

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Solidarity Builds Change by Charmaine Pfender

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Image Description: A color-pencil drawing of four women and trans individuals working together to plant a flag and flagpole into a rock labeled “D.O.C.” The colorful flag has names of many groups that organize to end mass incarceration: Jail Break PGH., HRC, ALC, ACLU, SA, PPS, Decarerate P.A., J & M, FFLE, Cadbe, FFLW, LGF, F.A.M.M., HOAW, WLR PPA, LifersInc., Reconstruction Inc., and ALP. The rock has cracks where the flagpole is being planted and three flowers grow out of the cracks.

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/solidarity-builds-change-by-charmaine-pfender/

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Digital print of acrylic painting on leaf, 2017

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Image Description: This is a digital rendering of an acrylic painting done on a real leaf, possibly a maple leaf. Depicted is a fawn curled up and laying down with its eyes open amongst a sea of tall yellow grasses. There are small leaves scattered on the forest floor amongst the yellow grasses. In the background are two large tree trunks and additional green trees and foliage. The leaf is mounted on a white background with a natural-looking, brown frame.

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Found and reclaimed materials, 4 ft W x 2 ft 2 in H

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Image Description: In this three-dimensional, multimedia work, found articles from nature, consisting of branches, moss, inedible red berries, dried flowers, and wood cuttings, all jut outwards from chartreuse-painted wooden plank.

General Description: This piece is constructed with found and reclaimed materials from nature, trash heaps, and everyday items. It exists as art by way of proposing a new outlook on how nature interacts with the material world, and asks how we can begin to look at our resources differently. How has the impact of COVID affected our resources, and how has the idea of resources changed? We can use this same thought process to look inwards and ask what resources we use to care for ourselves, and outwards by asking what resources we have to care for our communities. The most sustainable and equitable way to move forward may look strange and unfamiliar, but we must trust that better worlds are possible and begin, again. Materials Used: dog house roof, fallen wood and berries, dried hydrangeas, twisty-ties, screws, moss.

Artist Bio: Jamie Parke is new to showing her artwork in public. She is currently finishing her graduate studies in Community and Economic Development and will be publishing her thesis on the role of art as a tool for equitable development. Please be kind to people, plants, animals, and yourself.

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Image Description: Background is black.  Windows made of primary colors are scattered around the image. Each window has pale yellow coming from “inside.” A series of colorful towers in Arabic architecture with gold crescent moons on each dome frame a woman’s face in the center. She has pale skin, light brown curly hair, and light purple eyeshadow. She is wearing three gold dots, arranged in a triangle, on her chin, and she has a large, curved golden earring with five circles along its lower edge to the right of her face. The woman’s head is tilted slightly upwards and her eyes are closed.

General Description: This painting is of a woman standing behind a window looking at the world from the inside and dreaming she could be part of the outside. Women from certain cultures, specifically the Middle East and North Africa, are oppressed and controlled by the men in their lives. They are not allowed to explore their sexuality and get to know other men. Their lives are managed and planned without their consent. Men are picked out for them by their families. This painting showcases the suppression of women, the window symbolizes feeling trapped and imprisoned, the other windows show that there are other women behind those windows feeling the same way, and the open window conveys the opportunity and freedom this woman could have. Symbols are added to the painting like the big gold earrings are a symbol of wealth and beauty, the three dots on her chin is an old tradition that is also used for beauty, the colorful and vivid hues of the doors and windows show hope of a bright dream, and the blue sign on the wooden is called "the 7 eyes", and it is used a lot on the doors of houses to keep away the evil eye. The black background is a symbol of sorrow that this woman is feeling.

Artist Bio: My name is Naba Fawzi, I am currently doing my bachelors at Hood College in Frederick, MD. Growing up, I have always loved the Middle Eastern culture and art, and I also love expressing myself through art. My art focuses on oppression of women in the Middle East and I tell a story through my art.

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Image Description: A colorful mixed media art piece depicting what appears to be a young person with light brown skin wearing a blue hoodie, shown from the torso up, shown from the torso up. They have their sweatshirt hood up, and their hands are holding the sides of the hood slightly away from their face. The person is looking forward and has a soft expression on their face. The background of the piece involves warm shades of pink, orange, yellow, blending together. There are shadows of these colors, as well as hearts of varying sizes in light blue, pink, white, and yellow on top of the person and surrounding them.

General Description: In this era of filters and smiles it's easy to forget the souls beyond our screens.

Artist Bio: Marlana Adele Vassar is a Pittsburgh-area artist and University of Pittsburgh alum (2006). Largely self-taught as an artist, Vassar's philosophy of balancing style and substance has attracted a diverse audience to her work. She weaves symbolism, surrealism and rich storytelling into figures and patterns, resulting in works that are personal yet open to interpretation.

Vassar began her career as a graphic designer with the intention to move into game design, however, a series of personal events turned her focus to the world of fine art. Since 2008, her work has been featured nationally in museums, galleries, and public projects. Known for her lavish style and attention to detail, Vassar has earned numerous accolades for her works. Her most recent accomplishments include public projects with the City of Pittsburgh and Oasis Community Kitchen, along with several private commissions.

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Image Description: There are four black quadrants with white hand writing in each. There is a slight rectangular photo in the center overlapping all of the quadrants. Each quadrant is a page from a hand-written letter that has been exposed like negatives directly onto photosensitive paper. Each side of the hand-written letter has been picked up by the photosensitive paper causing overlap of the written words, making it indecipherable. The photo in the middle is of an abstract image that looks like fallen leaves and takes on shades of browns.

General Description: “I know those helicopter things from the trees. Ha. (Maple Tree Right) They had those on my grade school playground. Those trees… You want to get those tattooed? Like wings?

This piece was initially submitted to Let’s Get Free’s Letters and Liberation show where artists were asked to make art from letters. Sue created this from a letter to etta cetera from Avis Lee. She exposed the letters like negatives directly on to the photosensitive paper. It picked up both sides of the letter. The title is a quote from the letter.

https://www.sueabramson.com/

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I’ll Never Swallow This Pill by Christine Lorenz 

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I’ll Never Swallow This Pill by Christine Lorenz 

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Image Description: The piece is built from the words of Oscar Brown. The words are in blue and are used to create an image of the skyline of SCI PIttsburgh and it’s reflection in water. The image consists of various shades of blue, with a seafoam green gradient background as the sky.

General Description: This illustration is called I’ll Never Swallow This Pill. It’s a colorized version of an illustration commissioned for the anthology Life Sentences: Writings from Inside an American Prison, written by participants in the Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice, published last year by Belt Publishing. The words come from Oscar Brown, who was at the time incarcerated at SCI Pittsburgh (which you can see in shadow form in the illustration). The entire essay is in the book, and it begins: “I will never throw in the towel and be consumed by this incarceration. I told myself that if I get convicted they can have my body but never my mind or spirit.”

https://www.cmlorenz.com/

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/ill-never-swallow-this-pill-by-christine-lorenz/

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Image Description: A cross-stitch with a white background. The cross stitch itself includes a black empty bird cage with no doors. Framing the cage, there are 2 blue birds are vines with leaves and pink flowers, and there are 2 blue birds perched on the vines. The cross stitch is presented in a black frame.

General Description: In this cross stitch, there is an empty bird cage with no doors and the birds are perched on flowers on the outside. Marsha is one of Lets Get Free’s prison advisory board members.

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Two Women Looked through Prison Bars by anonymous

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Two Women Looked through Prison Bars by anonymous

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Image Description: A small painting with a background of a red brick wall. In the center of the wall, there is a window with bars on it, painted in grayish white. Bold red text painted in front of the barred window reads, “Two women looked through prison bars. One saw mud, the other saw stars…” The painting is presented in an ornate gold frame.

General Description: This was sent from SCI-Cambridge Springs. There was no name to it.

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Image Description: A detailed and intricately shaded grayscale pencil drawing of a scene inside what appears to be a prison cell. On the left side, an elder with a bald head and long beard sits on a bench, with one hand on their head and the other resting between their knees. They are very thin, with the outline of bones visible on their body. There is a ball and chain attached to their one ankle. On the wall on their left, there is a child’s drawing of a family that says “I love you daddy.” Below it, there are tick marks, likely counting days. On the wall adjacent to that one, there are hanging family pictures and letters, as well as a single lightbulb and lightswitch. At the bottom of that wall, where it meets the floor, there is an abnormally large pocket watch. The pocket watch is leaned against the wall, and a young child with short hair, a tee shirt, and shorts, sits against it. The child’s shirt says “boot camp.” One of their hands is on their head and the other is on the floor. With a pained look on their face, they’re facing their reflection in the back of the pocketwatch, but the face in the reflection is that of the elder instead of the child.

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Image Description: The piece depicts a close-up profile view of the face of a beautiful Black woman. She has brown eyes, dreads, and pink lipstick. She has a small shining stud in her nose. In her hands, she holds a yellow and orange key that emanates a bright light. The background is black and maroon with white speckles and some additional gold swirls. You can see that she is in the dark, the key in her hand a warm glowing light. This piece is emotional.

Artist Bio: Todd “Hyung Rae” Tarselli has been in prison for over 27 years. He was sentenced to life without possibility of parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. Born in South Korea, Hyung Rae’s parents died when he was just a child. At the age of 5, he entered an orphanage, where his birthdate was inaccurately recorded as 6-years old, due to a mistake in interpreting cultural age counting. Korean culture considers a child 1-year old on the day of birth while the U.S. does not. This cultural difference in counting age was not properly accounted for during his adoption. Hyung Rae was adopted by an American family in 1980 and struggled to adjust to the new culture, family, environment, and community. In 1992, he pled guilty to a robbery and murder. Because of the age counting error, Hyung Rae was listed as 18 years old and charged as an adult, which impacted his life sentence in Pennsylvania.

Hyung-Rae has been in collaboration with some of our members for 20 years and is a tireless artist for the movement.

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/the-key-by-todd-hyung-rae-tarselli/

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This Life is Killing Me by Duane Montney

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This Life is Killing Me by Duane Montney

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Image Description: This image depicts a person of color being eaten by a large clock while lying on their prison cell cot. The face of the clock is a wild animal, which is biting the prisoner and attempting to eat them. The numbers “11”, “12”, and “1” are visible on the animal’s forehead–the top of the clock. Looking over the prisoner in the top right corner is a hooded skeleton wearing a crown. A skeleton key hangs on a chain around the robed skeleton’s neck. The text “Coronavirus” is written on the left side of the skeleton’s hood. A bunch of letters are on the cell floor near the image’s bottom left. One letter is in the animal’s mouth. It says “Motion for relief Denied.” The other letters read “Pandem strikes US”, “Commutation Denied”, “Diabetes, Stroke, High Risk”, and “Grandpa, I hope that you are safe from Covid.”  The image background is the prison cell’s stone wall, along with the cell door and its grated window.

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/this-time-is-killing-me-by-duane-montney/

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Image Description: The piece depicts an orange colored prison with grey doors chained shut on yellow gradient background. Above the prison there is text that reads, “What we lose.” Atop the prison, behind barbed wire, there are two grey cylinders from which two tubes with claws are holding the bodies of two women: the one on the left is colored in purple with long hair, the other is a skeleton of a person also colored purple. Along the tube to the left reads, “New Commit” leading down to the body, next to which reads “What will we do without her?” Along the tube to the right read, “LWOP” and “Medical Release.” Next to the skeleton on the right are the words, “What have they done with her?” Above the door of the prison are the words “…and what they say…” Above that are prison windows including three images: a green cross surrounded by the words, “Drink water, Lie down,” a grey brain next to the words, “You can read?” and red and pink depiction of the female reproductive system with the words, “Skank, Farry, Ugly, and Bitch.” In the foreground are four hands colored in purple. The hands are in various positions and each has a yellow rectangle with a word inside. From left to right they read, “No,” “Please,” “Why,” and “No.”

General Description: My piece is titled “What We Lose” and is about the hardships that women experience in prison. We are challenged and depleted in mind, body, and spirit, sometimes by those who are tasked with taking care of us. The building in my painting represents the DOC and the industrial factory of flesh that it is. The text in the windows comes from common phrases I’ve heard from nurses, guards, and other staff. I chose the words because they are both invalidating and routine. The hand and the words outside the building represent the experience of the outside family as they witness the process of incarceration. Lastly, the cold claws reaching out of the building are symbolic of the heartless ingress and egress to and from the system that has left many people feeling as though their flesh and life has been stripped away. The purple skin tone is meant to make the figures universally relatable.

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/what-we-lose-by-elena-house-hay/

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Fabric and thread scraps, 20 in x 20 in each

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A Post Pandemic Affirmation by Barb Grossman (1 of 2)

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A Post Pandemic Affirmation by Barb Grossman (1 of 2)

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Image Description: 5 squares of fabric in an order of blue, green, yellow, orange, red, from left to right, each square is one color but made of different scraps of fabric shades of said color.

Artist Bio: Barbara Grossman was the creative Director of the Pittsburgh creative arts festival for 17 years. She lost her business during the pandemic and found a way to redirect her energy, intention, and creative process as a result. She enjoys exploring various mediums, techniques and experimenting with textiles. After the tree of life shooting she began a kindness initiative, PGHHandmade hearts, and has taken materials to various communities and organizations to teach others the impact a simple act of kindness can have. She takes great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and teaching others. She’s committed to sustainability and leads zero waste lifestyle and is looking forward to sharing this technique with others. She donated 250 free kits to the Handmade arcade attendees to provide awareness raising and is currently collecting scraps for continued sustainability efforts.

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Fabric and thread scraps, 20 in x 20 in each

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A Post Pandemic Affirmation by Barb Grossman (2 of 2)

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A Post Pandemic Affirmation by Barb Grossman (2 of 2)

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Image Description: Six square textile multi-colored pieces are lined up in a horizontal row. The first contains scraps of varying shades of purple fabric stitched together. The second piece consists of varying shades of pink and red fabric stitched together. The third contains shades of brown, tan, and black pieces of fabric stitched together. The fourth contains white and gray pieces of fabric stitched together: Some of the gray pieces of fabric are patterned with white speckles throughout. The fifth piece is a solid black square of fabric, with the caption “BLACKOUT TUESDAY” printed on paper, centered towards the bottom of the square. The sixth and last piece consists of red, white, and blue pieces of fabric arranged as an inverted and distorted American flag, also stitched into a square. The red and white stripes are overlapping and crooked. The caption “INSURRECTION” is attached to the piece at the bottom left corner.

Artist Bio: Barbara Grossman was the creative Director of the Pittsburgh creative arts festival for 17 years. She lost her business during the pandemic and found a way to redirect her energy, intention, and creative process as a result. She enjoys exploring various mediums, techniques and experimenting with textiles. After the tree of life shooting she began a kindness initiative, PGHHandmade hearts, and has taken materials to various communities and organizations to teach others the impact a simple act of kindness can have. She takes great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and teaching others. She’s committed to sustainability and leads zero waste lifestyle and is looking forward to sharing this technique with others. She donated 250 free kits to the Handmade arcade attendees to provide awareness raising and is currently collecting scraps for continued sustainability efforts.

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Letters from Nuno Pontz, Sierra Club calendars, thread, 2018

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Image Description: "Venceremos” can be read in the foreground of the piece. Each letter of Venceremos is capitalized and has been cut-out from handwritten paper letters and then sewn onto the background. Some of the faded handwriting is still visible in the letters. The background consists of overlapping nature images taken from old Sierra Club calendars. Each calendar image is turned on its side. Starting on the left side, there is an image of white running water over brown rocks with some greenery and young forest in the background. That calendar image is repeated one more time. The next calendar image is a field of wild yellow daisies that backs up right to the edge of an evergreen forest. That calendar image is repeated once more and you can even see the forest give way to a mountain range in the repeated image.

General Description: Venceremos is part of a series called Sewn Greetings created from  the words that people often signed their letters with. Venceremos is a Spanish and Portuguese word meaning "we will overcome", or "we will win" and was a common exit greeting from Nuno Pontz.

Old Sierra Club calendars stitched with letters from people in prisoner. In many cases the letters used to create the phrase were directly from the person who signed off their missives in the sentiment shown.

Sewing support from Emily Cross, Miriam Greenberg, Leslie Stem and Alina del Pino. Thanks also to Randy Francisco for old calendars.

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Image Description:  The image is a collage that takes the form of a butterfly shown straight on, against a plain, white background. The edges of the butterfly’s wings and body appear to have been cut out from a larger piece of paper. The butterfly is filled with an abstract, textured array of black, red, orange, yellow, and blue paint splatters.

Artist Bio: Terry Mitchum is an abstract artist based in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Westinghouse High School and received an Associates Degree at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He has volunteered as an art therapist Lemington Center Senior Center. Mitchum’s influences include Jackson Pollack and his work in the 60s. Music has always been very important to Mitchum and his creative expression, especially the group Earth, Wind and Fire. Mitchum states “Art is very important to me”. After working to get Mitchum’s art into EECM, we are delighted to host him. We initially have been discussing including his work in an upcoming show since before the pandemic, so it is wonderful to now see it to fruition.

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Image Description: The image depicts a butterfly, but in a much different style [than the other Mitchum piece]. The background is yellow, with a faded texture that suggests that it has been splashed with water. The butterfly itself is positioned diagonally and its inside is fractured, featuring solid red, black, and green triangular fragments. Some of the yellow background can be seen through holes in the butterfly’s fractured pattern.

Artist Bio: Terry Mitchum is an abstract artist based in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Westinghouse High School and received an Associates Degree at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He has volunteered as an art therapist Lemington Center Senior Center. Mitchum’s influences include Jackson Pollack and his work in the 60s. Music has always been very important to Mitchum and his creative expression, especially the group Earth, Wind and Fire. Mitchum states “Art is very important to me”. After working to get Mitchum’s art into EECM, we are delighted to host him. We initially have been discussing including his work in an upcoming show since before the pandemic, so it is wonderful to now see it to fruition.

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Image Description: In this black and white photograph, from the point-of-view of the passenger-side window looking in on the inside of the car, two black men sit in the passenger and the driver’s seat of the car. Both men are wearing white surgical masks, have their faces tilted downward, and have their eyes closed. Two stacked milk crates inside the car stand between them.

General Description: Volunteers offering a prayer before setting out on food delivery from Center of Life.

We are thrilled to welcome back Brian Cohen to this art show. He was featured in our last show Stones and Roses and Repair the World has been working with Brian for many years. He is always out documenting community actions and organizing and helping to archive important moments in local history.

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Image Description: This black and white photograph on the right features the inside of a professional kitchen, where stacked trays of food are stacked in the center. A white man and a white woman wearing black food service uniforms and white surgical masks look inward at the freshly cooked food.

General Description: Providing meals for families affected by rising unemployment and dwindling access to resources was an enormous, multi-agency undertaking. Community Kitchen, a workforce development non-profit based in Hazelwood, has provided tens of thousands of meals during the pandemic.

We are thrilled to welcome back Brian Cohen to this art show. He was featured in our last show Stones and Roses and Repair the World has been working with Brian for many years. He is always out documenting community actions and organizing and helping to archive important moments in local history.

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Image Description:  The black and white photograph on the left features a crowd of people seated in the middle of a street with their right fists raised to the air, in front of a stone church building. The crowd is in the shape of a circle, with several people kneeling and standing in the center.

General Description: As across the country, people take to the streets, marching, kneeling, raising their fists in support of Black Lives.

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Image Description: In the black and white photograph, people march down a crowded street carrying signs that say “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” “DEFUND THE POLICE,” and “I CAN’T BREATHE.” All of the people in the image are wearing face masks of varying colors.

General Description: Rally, and march from Squirrel Hill to Downtown.

We are thrilled to welcome back Brian Cohen to this art show. He was featured in our last show Stones and Roses and Repair the World has been working with Brian for many years. He is always out documenting community actions and organizing and helping to archive important moments in local history.

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Image Description:  In this black and white photograph, a plastic sheet covers the entirety of a large statue, obscuring it from view. The statue appears to be a monument, as it is shaped like a humanoid form on top of a solid, square slab. The background features a heavily clouded sky, where the clouds form a diagonal line that cuts through the center of the statue.

General Description: The Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park had been graffitied earlier in the year, as across the country attention turned towards the meanings of various monuments and the legacies they represent. It was subsequently wrapped in plastic sheeting, pending a decision on its future.

We are thrilled to welcome back Brian Cohen to this art show. He was featured in our last show Stones and Roses and Repair the World has been working with Brian for many years. He is always out documenting community actions and organizing and helping to archive important moments in local history.

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Image Descriptions: A series of photographs from Silwan, Jerusalem, presented in rows with two on top and three below.

General Description: A series of photographs of the people and place involved with the I Witness Silwan project, which is an ongoing public art installation that supports the Silwan Palestinian community of Occupied East Jerusalem to resist dispossession and displacement. The some two-dozen murals now scattered throughout the Batan al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, where at least 700 Palestinian residents are at risk of displacement, depict the images of hope, liberation and international solidarity – a mural of hands raised to the sky stemming from an olive tree; murals of colorful birds with outstretched wings; murals of nature which the neighborhood lacks as there are no public parks; and murals of the eyes and faces of local and international civil rights leaders, individuals of movements for self determination, those killed by police or military violence, artists and scholars, and people with empowering stories. The project began in early 2019 and has managed to continue safely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, during which Silwan Palestinians still face evictions and some have since been forced to leave or even demolish their own homes. As the project grows, it continues to be a source of empowerment, resilience and resistance.

I Witness Silwan is a collaborative project between the Silwan Palestinian organization Madaa Creative Center and the American organization Art Forces. The project is headed by Jawad Siam, Susan Greene and Zuheir a-Rajibi. The active artists and project coordinators of the project include Jenan Maswadeh, Leora Rozner and Manar Shreiteh. The local Silwan community, including children, have helped to envision and create several murals of the I Witness Silwan project.

Artist Bio: Leora S Rozner is a visual artist with Pittsburgh ties, based in Jerusalem, Israel-Palestine. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University and is currently working on a Master’s Degree at Hebrew University. Rozner works primarily as a muralist within the public sphere, striving to be a partner in empowering local communities through art. She is also an ardent activist in the movement for justice and self-determination for all people. In her more intimate work, Rozner focuses on concepts of memory, spirituality and Jewish identity.

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I Witness Silwan by Leora Rozner (1 of 2)

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I Witness Silwan by Leora Rozner (1 of 2)

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Left Photograph Description: A color photograph depicting a woman wearing glasses, a gray patterned head covering, and long-sleeved garment from the torso up. She is smiling as she paints an iron gate and the wall around it a vibrant shade of blue.

Right Photograph Description: This color photograph features a large, royal blue flag at the center, which is illustrated with a bird with outstretched wings. The wings contain black, orange, and white feathers. The bird appears to be taking flight. Behind the flag, to the right, is a green tree and some gray, industrial looking buildings with vast windows and antenna jutting out from the roofs. To the left of the flag, there is a steep incline dotted with greenery. The cloudy sky shines through from behind the buildings, with rays of sunshine seeming to shine down on the flag.

General Description: A series of photographs of the people and place involved with the I Witness Silwan project, which is an ongoing public art installation that supports the Silwan Palestinian community of Occupied East Jerusalem to resist dispossession and displacement. The some two-dozen murals now scattered throughout the Batan al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, where at least 700 Palestinian residents are at risk of displacement, depict the images of hope, liberation and international solidarity – a mural of hands raised to the sky stemming from an olive tree; murals of colorful birds with outstretched wings; murals of nature which the neighborhood lacks as there are no public parks; and murals of the eyes and faces of local and international civil rights leaders, individuals of movements for self determination, those killed by police or military violence, artists and scholars, and people with empowering stories. The project began in early 2019 and has managed to continue safely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, during which Silwan Palestinians still face evictions and some have since been forced to leave or even demolish their own homes. As the project grows, it continues to be a source of empowerment, resilience and resistance.

I Witness Silwan is a collaborative project between the Silwan Palestinian organization Madaa Creative Center and the American organization Art Forces. The project is headed by Jawad Siam, Susan Greene and Zuheir a-Rajibi. The active artists and project coordinators of the project include Jenan Maswadeh, Leora Rozner and Manar Shreiteh. The local Silwan community, including children, have helped to envision and create several murals of the I Witness Silwan project.

Artist Bio: Leora S Rozner is a visual artist with Pittsburgh ties, based in Jerusalem, Israel-Palestine. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University and is currently working on a Master’s Degree at Hebrew University. Rozner works primarily as a muralist within the public sphere, striving to be a partner in empowering local communities through art. She is also an ardent activist in the movement for justice and self-determination for all people. In her more intimate work, Rozner focuses on concepts of memory, spirituality and Jewish identity.

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I Witness Silwan by Leora Rozner (2 of 2)

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I Witness Silwan by Leora Rozner (2 of 2)

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Right Photograph Description: A color photograph of a young person smiling with dark-brown hair tied back behind their head. The person wears a white, short-sleeved shirt and holds a paintbrush in their right hand. Their left hand rests on the side of a building near where the paintbrush adds green paint to the building. The building is painted with a patchy, whimsical design of green vines and yellow flowers. A tall, metal ladder stands in the background behind the person painting.

Middle Photograph Description: This color photograph shows the side of a tan city building painted with street art. The paintings feature green vines, red, yellow, and white flowers, a person’s face, and a tree on a grassy plain framed by a stark red sky. To the right of the painted tree, a silver car is parked facing into an alley. Power lines are draped from the roofs above. The street in front of the buildings is almost indiscernible, as its dark pavement stands in stark contrast to the brightly painted buildings.

Left Photograph Description: A color photograph featuring a young person’s face and shoulders in the foreground. The young person has light brown skin and dark brown/black hair that is either short or pulled back, and they are smiling subtly at the camera. There is a white bird perched on their right shoulder, and their right hand rests on the bird’s back. There are Silwan residential buildings in the background, one of which has a colorful mural depicting birds.

General Description: A series of photographs of the people and place involved with the I Witness Silwan project, which is an ongoing public art installation that supports the Silwan Palestinian community of Occupied East Jerusalem to resist dispossession and displacement. The some two-dozen murals now scattered throughout the Batan al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, where at least 700 Palestinian residents are at risk of displacement, depict the images of hope, liberation and international solidarity – a mural of hands raised to the sky stemming from an olive tree; murals of colorful birds with outstretched wings; murals of nature which the neighborhood lacks as there are no public parks; and murals of the eyes and faces of local and international civil rights leaders, individuals of movements for self determination, those killed by police or military violence, artists and scholars, and people with empowering stories. The project began in early 2019 and has managed to continue safely throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, during which Silwan Palestinians still face evictions and some have since been forced to leave or even demolish their own homes. As the project grows, it continues to be a source of empowerment, resilience and resistance.

I Witness Silwan is a collaborative project between the Silwan Palestinian organization Madaa Creative Center and the American organization Art Forces. The project is headed by Jawad Siam, Susan Greene and Zuheir a-Rajibi. The active artists and project coordinators of the project include Jenan Maswadeh, Leora Rozner and Manar Shreiteh. The local Silwan community, including children, have helped to envision and create several murals of the I Witness Silwan project.

Artist Bio: Leora S Rozner is a visual artist with Pittsburgh ties, based in Jerusalem, Israel-Palestine. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University and is currently working on a Master’s Degree at Hebrew University. Rozner works primarily as a muralist within the public sphere, striving to be a partner in empowering local communities through art. She is also an ardent activist in the movement for justice and self-determination for all people. In her more intimate work, Rozner focuses on concepts of memory, spirituality and Jewish identity.

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Acrylic paint, ink, permanent markers, and watercolors, 2 ft x 2.6 ft (including frame), 2020

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Image Description: The image centers around a Black man in a burgundy graduation cap and gown with a yellow sash. He has blue eyes, black beard and a mustache. He stands in green grass in front of the black bars of a gate. Along the top and bottom of the gate is barbed wire. There is a bent bar in the gate being propped open by a book that says “Philosophy” on the spine. Within the barbed wire on the bottom of the fence is another book that says “Law” on the spine. Behind the bars are also a variety of white crosses. Across the fence are the letters, “D.O.C.” The following text surround the image: “Prison is a pandemic,” “People are Potential,” and “Decarcerate.”

Additional Information:
Contact-
Joseph Dole K84446, Stateville Correctional Center, PO Box 112, Joliet, IL 60434

https://www.facebook.com/JosephDoleIncerateratedWriter/

https://www.facebook.com/ParoleIllinois/

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Two color reduction linoleum block print, signed, limited edition of 28, 24 in. x 36 in. not including frame, 2014

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Mass Incarceration is a Labor Issue by Meredith Stern

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Mass Incarceration is a Labor Issue by Meredith Stern

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Image Description: A large block print rendered in black, brown, and white. At the top of the piece, a feminine looking person with short hair and wearing a shirt that says “DOC” uses a sewing machine on a large piece of fabric, which flows into the image below. At the bottom of the piece, a feminine person hands their resume, which has a pair of handcuffed hands on it, to another person across a table. The second person, wearing a suit jacket, has a skeptical look on their face and slightly crossed arms. Text across the middle of the piece reads: “Mass incarceration is a labor issue. Put an end to the war on drugs.” Smaller text throughout the piece reads: “While incarcerated people can be paid as little as 23 cents per hour to work for private corporations. Once released, ex felons face discrimination when seeking employment and social services.”

Artist Statement: This is a print that I made for the Justseeds installation in Milwaukee based around Labor Issues. An incarcerated woman in a Department of Corrections uniform sews while in a scene below her a woman interviews for a job. The tethered butterflies symbolize a yearning for freedom for the woman above, while the bars along the bottom represent the barriers which exist for people who seek employment once released from prison. The text reads: Mass incarceration is a labor issue. Put an end to the war on drugs. While incarcerated people can be paid as little as 23 cents per hour to work for private corporations. Once released, ex felons face discrimination when seeking employment and social services.

Web Link: https://creative-resistance.org/mass-incarceration-is-a-labor-issue-by-merideth-stern/

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Multi-layer screen-print unframed limited edition artist proofs on paper, 2020

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What They Say What They Said (Hoody) and (Cop) by DS Kinsel

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What They Say What They Said (Hoody) and (Cop) by DS Kinsel

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Image Description: Two multi-layered screen-prints in black frames mounted on a tan wall. "Hoody" (a screen-print of a figure in a white hoodie) is displayed on the left and "Cop" (a white and black screen-print of the figure of a cop) is displayed on the right.

Artist Statement: This multi-layer print is highlighted by text retrieved from interviews I personally conducted with young black men in #pittsburgh. I’ve been working on this series since ‘16. This iteration featuring the hoody and a warm color way was created in ‘20 at @airpgh. The interview prompt was “what do police say when they see you?” – we got a lot of answers but these were the ones selected.

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Multi-layer screen-print unframed limited edition artist proofs on paper, 2020

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What They Say What They Said (Hoody) by DS Kinsel

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What They Say What They Said (Hoody) by DS Kinsel

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Image Description: A screen-print of a figure in a white hoodie. The figure doesn’t have a face. Behind the screen-print of the figure in a hoodie is a yellow background with green uppercase block text with statements and questions like “Tell me your name,” “Stop right there,” and “Stay out the street” written.

Artist Statement: This multi-layer print is highlighted by text retrieved from interviews I personally conducted with young black men in #pittsburgh. I’ve been working on this series since ‘16. This iteration featuring the hoody and a warm color way was created in ‘20 at @airpgh. The interview prompt was “what do police say when they see you?” – we got a lot of answers but these were the ones selected.

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Multi-layer screen-print unframed limited edition artist proofs on paper, 2020

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What They Say What They Said (Cop) by DS Kinsel

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What They Say What They Said (Cop) by DS Kinsel

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Image Description: A white and black screen-print of the figure of a cop. The cop figure is in front of a red background with orange flourishes and teal text. The teal text behind the cop contains various statements and questions like “Where are you going?,”“Are you high?,” and “Put your hands up” and covers the entire background behind the figure.

Artist Statement: This multi-layer print is highlighted by text retrieved from interviews I personally conducted with young black men in #pittsburgh. I’ve been working on this series since ‘16. This iteration featuring the hoody and a warm color way was created in ‘20 at @airpgh. The interview prompt was “what do police say when they see you?” – we got a lot of answers but these were the ones selected.