This summer, the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition has an Art in City Hall exhibit in honor of June as Reentry Awareness Month. Rethinking Reentry Through Art is a partnership with The Philadelphia Reentry Think Tank, The Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program, the Institute for Community Justice, Right of Return USA, the Youth Art & Self-Empowerment Project (YASP), Eastern State Penitentiary, and The Reentry Project. Join the conversation about what you need to stay free.
Rethinking Reentry Through Art
By using art as a forum for civic dialogue, the exhibit speaks to the many barriers and challenges returning citizens face, including extreme discrimination in housing, employment, and in many other arenas where they are denied access and treated as second-class citizens. The exhibit aims to change the narrative and public opinion about reentry by presenting art shaped directly by the lived experiences of returning citizens and their communities. Art serves as a powerful and necessary tool to engage people, amplifying voices that don’t otherwise have public or political platforms, challenging assumptions and destroying stereotypes. These voices add human experiences, real lives, dreams, and human needs to statistics, creating avenues for compassion, connection, and shared humanity.
See the full Reentry Month calendar here: http://www.philadelphiareentrycoalition.org/reentrymonth