The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC), in collaboration with California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) and Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA), will convene the Texas Art for Justice Forum on Saturday, July 14, 9:30 am to 6pm at HMAAC. Admission is free, but if you sign up by today, you get lunch!
According to the press release, the forum will engage “in dialogue and discussions geared toward recommendations to advance criminal justice reform through arts engagement. The forum is designed to expand the role that the arts can play in addressing mass incarceration and criminal justice reform as part of a nationwide discussion in six states.” The forum is designed to expand the role that the arts can play in addressing these issues as part of a nationwide discussion in six states, including Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, California and New York.
The prison system has often been a point of controversy, especially in Texas, and many artists have addressed the issue. (For recent Glasstire articles, go here, here, here, here, and here.) Most prisoner artists have become very good and could be very popular tattoo artists. The month-long exhibition of artwork created by incarcerated individuals and returned citizens should be very interesting.
The Museum will hold panel discussions that will include legislators, arts and criminal justice reform advocates and returned citizens, will facilitate dialogues in breakout sessions. This program is funded by the Art for Justice Fund, the Andy Warhol Foundation (read yesterday’s post for how much the Warhol Foundation helps out this part of the country), the Quentin Hancock Fund, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
“This is an important national discussion, and I am thrilled that HMAAC was selected as the venue to bring together all of these talented and experiences voices to express our Texas perspective,” HMAAC CEO John Guess, Jr. added.
