Death Row Inmates Are Selling Their Art on Etsy (and It's Beautiful)
Vice, March 3, 2021: Death Row Inmates Are Selling Their Art on Etsy (and It's Beautiful)
“‘They call it the hobby program, there in San Quentin,’ says Nicola White, the founder of an independent and unaffiliated program, ArtReach: Reaching Out with Art and Poetry from Death Row. ‘The whole COVID-19 situation has stopped supplies, though. They’ve stopped all the programs, unfortunately, and iInmates] haven’t had visits now for almost a year as well.’ White’s initiative began in 2016 as an alternative to the hobby shop (which is only shoppable IRL), and is able to serve as a digital gallery for the art works of some 40 men on death row, ranging from jewelry and paintings to sketches and poetry.”
Additional Reading:
ArtReach Mission: “The purpose of ArtReach is to provide a platform for artists on San Quentin's death row to exhibit their art and creativity, both online and in a variety of exhibition venues and talks. It also aims to humanize the people incarcerated on death row, utilizing art as a vehicle to raise awareness, and to generate debate and discussion about capital punishment. ArtReach believes that art and poetry has the power and ability to transform thinking, consciousness, behavior and lives.”
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