Visions of Hope is a multimedia installation of art created by people experiencing incarceration in California. More than 225 incarcerated men and women participated in creating art for this exhibition.
Open Now!
Visions of Hope: Art of the Incarcerated is currently on display in the Level 1 and Level 3 Galleries of the Marin County Civic Center from September 5 to October 24.
The Marin County Civic Center is located at 3501 Civic Center Dr, San Rafael, CA 94903. The galleries are open to the public from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday (closed weekends).
By showcasing creative expressions, this exhibition aims to build bridges and awareness between incarcerated individuals and the public, and to advocate for criminal justice reforms and access to the arts for rehabilitation.
Hope Starts Here.
Over the course of seven months, Life On Art facilitated twelve workshops inside state correctional facilities. Local community members supported the project by volunteering to help facilitate workshops, fabricate blank winged heart sculptures, and prepare the final art for installation.
“As I sit at that table and draw on this heart…it helps me get a lot of relief and just time for myself to think and pray, and just breathe. You know? Just draw and see the colors, and painting, and dipping the paint in the water…” -Bernice D.
Art Workshops and so much more
Workshop participants were invited to explore their “heart story” through painting and expressive writing. The iconography of the winged heart provided a framework for this process of reflection, expression, and healing. Many participants described feeling a unique sense of "peace" during the workshops. A documentary film crew recorded their stories, poems and songs which can be viewed on the free Bloomberg Connects app.
Central California Women's Facility
Life On Art facilitated a six-part workshop series titled Heart Stories at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. Through the series, participants were encouraged to share their personal narratives through art. Each person created a painting on a paper maché winged heart sculpture, which had been prepared for them by volunteers in the community.
Correctional Training Facility
In January, Life On Art visited the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad to present a two-part workshop titled Feather Journey. Each participant created a single feather, which would ultimately be combined into one collaborative artwork. The Heart Stories workshop series was offered in the summer, spanning the course of four weeks. These engagements were facilitated in collaboration with another program at CTF called Empathy in Action.
California Correctional Facilities
People who are incarcerated in other California facilities were invited to submit artwork, poetry, and prose to be included in the exhibition. This call for entries allowed artists to share their work and voices beyond the walls where it was was created.
Please support Visions of Hope!
Please support Visions of Hope!
Life On Art makes the healing power of art available to those that are often unseen and forgotten. Through community building and artistic activism, we advocate for human rights and systemic change. Your support allows us to continue to take our art to communities most in need of uplift.
Challenge Gift Campaign
Your donation today will help us meet a $25,000 challenge gift from Life On Art board member, Emily Scott. Your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Emily (up to $25,000) as a celebration of Life On Art’s milestone of hiring our first Executive Director, Kristin Nelson.
Want to explore the artworks and hear the stories, poems and songs written and performed by our incarcerated artists?
Can’t make it to the Marin County Civic Center?
With the Bloomberg Connects app, you can explore our entire Visions of Hope exhibit virtually, listen or watch interviews with the artists and much more from your mobile device, anytime, anywhere in the world!
Life On Art is delighted to join the Bloomberg Connects community of over 500 museums, galleries, and other arts and cultural institutions who share a common platform designed to provide a digital guide showcasing written, audio and video content which complements our art exhibit.
Accessing the App
Click the link below to download the app on your mobile or tablet. Once downloaded, search for 'Life On Art'.
You can also search for 'Bloomberg Connects' on the App Store or Google Play.
