Janie Paul, co-founder of the Annual Exhibitions of Artists in Michigan Prisons, a project of the Prison Creative Arts Project, along with formerly incarcerated artists will discuss the significance of making visual art in prison in connection with Paul’s recently published book, Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance. Using philosophical, aesthetic, and political lenses, they will share and explore various modes of resistance employed by imprisoned artists that combat the dehumanization of prison and create paths toward meaning and purpose. They will reflect on ways to be in solidarity with those who are incarcerated. Janie Paul is a painter, curator, writer, and an Arthur F. Thurnau professor emerita of the Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan. For 27 years, she has traveled throughout Michigan to meet artists and select work for the project she co-founded: The Annual Exhibitions of Artists in Michigan Prisons, an initiative of the Prison Creative Arts Project at U-M.
In Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance, Janie Paul introduces readers to the culture and aesthetics of prison art communities featuring over 200 images of extraordinary work. These powerful stories and images upend the manufactured stereotypes of those living in prison, imparting a real human dimension—a critical step in the movement to end mass incarceration.
The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
