FACES OF RESILIENCE

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Faces of Resilience

September 11 - November 3, 2023
Buchanan Hall Atrium Gallery

Curated by William Perthes, Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult Education at the Barnes Foundation

Faces of Resilience exhibits work by artists both currently and formerly incarcerated at the State Correctional Institute (SCI) Phoenix, southeast Pennsylvania’s maximum-security prison for men located 33 miles outside of Philadelphia. The obstacles faced by these artists are profound, from physical isolation to cultural marginalization, hurdles only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

Faces of Resilience explores the theme of the portrait as both a literal representation and a metaphorical portrayal of self and others. During the pandemic, these artists endured weeks of near-total confinement in shared six-by-12-foot cells. They also witnessed the devastating effects of COVID-19 on fellow inmates. Many of these works visualize experiences of personal trauma and loss, they also reflect the love and support artists receive from family and friends. Faces of Resilience includes work by artists previously part of the Phoenix group but now released, creating a visual dialogue across the prison fences and concertina wire.

Artists at SCI Phoenix work year-round in a dedicated studio space within the institution. They regularly contribute painted parachute cloth panels that are incorporated into many of the public murals throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond. They also work on their own bodies of work, from which this exhibition draws.

Faces of Resilience is made possible through an ongoing partnership between Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Barnes Foundation who share a steadfast commitment to restorative justice of which this exhibition is one example.

The exhibition at George Mason University is made possible by the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and Mason Exhibitions.

Unfortunately, many of the artists in the exhibition will not be able to engage with viewers of the exhibition. If you have questions, feedback, or responses to the artwork that you would like to share, please click below.

Artworks

INSTALLATION VIEWS

Event Recordings:

Art & Incarceration Symposium on October 14, 2024

On Saturday, October 14, 2024 at George Mason University, Mason Exhibitions and the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution hosted an Art & Incarceration Symposium featuring three panel discussions.

Panel 1 will feature representatives from the Barnes Foundation, the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Mason Exhibitions, and Provisions Library for Art and Social Change.

Panel 2 will feature a variety of formerly incarcerated artists, as well as practicing artists whose work relates to justice.

Panel 3 will feature scholars from local universities discussing intersectional carceral issues and paths forward.

Visual Voices with Sherrill Roland on October 20, 4:45pm-6:30pm
Sherrill Roland is an artist and exoneree whose interdisciplinary practice deals with concepts of innocence, identity, and community; reimagining their social and political implications in the context of the American criminal justice system. For more than three years, Roland's right to self-determination was lost to a wrongful incarceration. After spending ten months in prison for a crime he was later exonerated for, he returned to his artistic practice, which he now uses as a vehicle for self-reflection and an outlet for emotional release. Converting the haunting nuances of his experiences into drawings, sculptures, multimedia objects, performances, and participatory activities, Roland shares his story and creates space for others to do the same, illuminating the invisible costs, damages, and burdens of incarceration.


Related Content:

George Mason University’s Center for Humanities Research

 

‘Windows from Prison’ by GMU Alumni, Mark Strandquist

 

‘Products of Prison Labor on Campus’ by Fourth Estate Writer, Erik Truong

 

‘Weep Sister Sing’ by GMU MFA Candidate, Traci Reynolds

 

Poetry Alive! at Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center

 

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

 

Poetry Daily Interview with Reginald Dwayne Betts on the Million Book Project

 

‘Suave’ Podcast featuring artist Luis ‘Suave’ Gonzalez

Exhibition Bookshelf