A Solo Exhibit, Art Expo + Writings
The Underprivileged Oasis, San Quentin Art Expo + 8 new stories
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Miye, Rahsaan, Christine, Emily and De’jon in front of San Quentin Prison, where Empowerment Avenue was founded, for the first-ever San Quentin Art Expo! Photo by friend Henry Frank.
Hi friends — what a month! It began in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we worked with MUSE Gallery to debut Alvin Smith’s solo exhibit, The Underprivileged Oasis. Words don’t do justice to the magic of the opening reception, in which Alvin consistently called in to be in community with us. Props to his incredible support network in Michigan! His collection up on the gallery walls was powerful to all who attended. If you couldn’t make it, no worries, we’ve got a virtual exhibit complete with a jazz playlist curated by Alvin.
Then it was off to San Quentin to co-host the first-ever San Quentin Art Expo with artist Lamavis Comundoiwilla. We were honored to help bring Lamavis’ vision to life and transform a prison chapel into a bona fide gallery. Thanks to all artists who participated and visitors who came in and engaged. It’s all about proximity and connection — we hope this event seeds future inside/outside collaborations.
As always, writers kept their pens to paper! Keep reading for powerful stories published in January, and some amazing news of Christopher Blackwell winning a major literary award.
Our Latest Work
For Black Lipstick1, Mithrellas Curtis writes about what it means to express style and femininity while incarcerated. “Being incarcerated means being stripped of certain rights. The right to vote. The right to participate in civic and community life. The right to a woman’s wardrobe.”
“Racist Roots: A Prison Cell Journey Into My Mother’s Past" is the latest story published by Antoine Davis from Washington Corrections Center. Don't miss it in Public Square Magazine2. “Prison is almost never helpful for people dealing with deeply rooted trauma,” he writes.
“Mental health” is a term that can easily be misunderstood on the inside. Tony Vick writes for Filter Mag3 about the tightrope of talking about it in prison and the relationships that make all the difference. “The revolving door of prison staff may not have the time to build relationships, but we do.”
Tony Vick also writes for Filter Mag about how as prisons shutter classrooms and mental health care, drugs fill the gaps. His story details the nuance of drug use in for people doing time. “I grab everything and anything that can bring me relief,” his source told him.
Don't miss Felix Sitthivong's latest On The Fence Line column for International Examiner4: “After not guilty verdict for Manuel Ellis’ killers, reforms won’t cut it." He writes, “We’ve got to stop having faith in a system that continues to prey on our most vulnerable.”
Clothing as personal expression or a confidence boost isn’t typically an option in prison. Darrell Jackson for The Marshall Project5 writes about how a borrowed tie, blazer, and dress shirt helped him see himself as a man, not as a prisoner.
Carla J. Simmons writes for Truthout6 about how food insecurity exposes the incarcerated to forced labor and sexual abuse in desperation for adequate nutrition. “Unmet needs motivate incarcerated people to work without pay and compromise their dignity,” she writes.
And in Lux Magazine’s7 Winter 2024 issue, Carla J. Simmons writes about the dire quality of women’s health care inside prison. It’s live in print and will soon be posted on Lux’s website.
Inside/Outside Insights
MAJOR CONGRATS: Christopher Blackwell is the grand prize winner of the 2023 Narratively Memoir Prize!!!! “Christopher’s essay sheds light on a slice of prison life you probably know something about, solitary confinement, but in a new way that will likely stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.”
MORE CONGRATS to Aaron Olson, who debuted nine episodes of Uncensored: Voices of the Incarcerated, on his Patreon. Empowerment Avenue was honored to speak for the event.
SUPPORT: EA writer Carla J. Simmons will become eligible for parole this October after serving 20 years in Georgia. Her daughter started a petition to express support for her parole. We love working with Heather; it's time for her to come home. Please sign!
BOOK NEWS: We’re very excited for our friend Lyle C. May who is about to release his book WITNESS with Haymarket Books. The forward is from our fellow Press in Prison co-editor Danielle Purifoy. Pre-order it here!
LISTEN: Emily and Rahsaan spoke for the podcast Pursuing Justice about the work of Empowerment Avenue. Here’s Part One and Part Two.
SAVE THE DATE (NYC): One year after we debuted Corey Devon Arthur’s exhibit Save the Flower, we are gearing up to exhibit it again at the Macon Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. An opening reception at the library is planned for March 21st between 6-7pm, with programming details to come.
ART EXHIBITION: The Only Door I Can Open, our virtual exhibition with Museum of African Diaspora, will stay up through March. (Check out some artist spotlights on our IG.) If you visit, please post a message for the artists and we’ll send it inside. The artwork is nearly sold out, with just a few pieces left, which you can peruse at our online store.
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Black Lipstick is a Substack publication featuring art and writing on makeup, mental health, mortality, queerness, sex, gender, nostalgia, pop culture, parenthood, weird dreams, dark thoughts, and everything else. They pay $150 per essay.
Public Square Magazine is founded on the proposition that civic spaces of substance are worth building and preserving.
Filter’s mission is to advocate through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy, and human rights. They pay $300 per essay.
International Examiner is the oldest and largest nonprofit, pan-Asian Pacific American publication in the Northwest. They pay $100 for an opinion piece.
The Marshall Project’s Life Inside series publishes weekly first-person essays from people who live or work in the criminal justice system. Pieces are between 1,000 and 1,400 words, and the rate per story is $200.
Truthout is a non-profit news organization dedicated to providing independent reporting and commentary on a diverse range of social justice issues. They pay around $300 for an essay.
Lux is a feminist magazine of politics and culture founded in 2021. They publish a glossy print edition three times a year and a regular newsletter. They pay 50 cents per word.