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Written By Incarcerated - Advancing Social Justice

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Film festival set to return in Fall ’25

May 30, 2025 By Kevin Sawyer

The second San Quentin Film Festival is officially scheduled to return to San Quentin Rehabilitation Center later this year on October 23 and 24.  This fall, for two days, film-industry insiders will once again converge on the 173-year-old San Quentin to connect with incarcerated filmmakers, a repeat performance of last year’s historic … [Read More...]

Artistic beauty created with discarded newspaper, rice, small rocks, paint

May 30, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

Through intricate crafts, San Quentin resident Santiago Valencia has been channeling his art into his rehabilitation. “I learned how to create figurines out of discarded newspapers,” said Valencia. “Being that I don’t have any financial help from family members or friends, I have been able to earn an honest living while incarcerated through my … [Read More...]

Fan of Disney constructs replicas of popular fictional characters

May 20, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

3-D style portrays character standing on his own Jack Anderwald, started drawing when he was 10. Now as an adult he decided to take it to a whole different level by incorporating his own 3-D style. The artist pointed out how he goes out of his way by carefully cutting out card stock into the shapes of every character that he creates. He wants … [Read More...]

SQ resident maintains family relations through art

May 18, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

For some incarcerated artists, art comes from a blood line.  As a new resident to SQ, Daryl Harmon, have been going through prison culture shock.  “When I first got here I wanted to watch this new cultural atmosphere and wait for the authenticity before I put myself out to this new movement,” Harmon said.  The artist has been drawing … [Read More...]

Resident’s art makes connections

March 24, 2025 By T. J. Marshall

Meikel Cooper quickly assimilated into the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center’s culture of recovery by bridging the gap through artwork and communication.  Cooper stated that art has helped make connections with residents, free staff educators, prison officials, and correctional officers by attending self-help groups. He said that art has … [Read More...]

Art portrays enhanced version of lived experiences

March 18, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

Adam Thomas, an incarcerated artist, embraced his roots and his appreciation of many styles of art and through multimedia pieces. “Art is so important [a] cause, I can create something that is not there,” said Thomas. “I can turn my feelings into something that I can see and put myself into a story I don’t have direct experience … [Read More...]

Painting provides incarcerated father opportunity to connect with son

February 10, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

For incarcerated father and artist Danny Velasquez, the language of art has continued its singular universality as he found his way of life through his art. His ultimate goal remained to share his story with his family and his beloved son, Little D. At the time of his arrest, his only son had just turned five months old. For his son to grow up … [Read More...]

Virgil Woods hopes artwork will lead to happy ending

February 1, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

San Quentin resident and artist Virgil Woods titled his artistic ways “From sticky fingers to God-gifted hands.” Prior to incarceration, the artist was a moviegoer who loved to watch Batman and felt that the Joker character does not get the credit he deserved for giving Batman hell.  “Everything that the Joker touches is a work of art,” … [Read More...]

Art provides a healthy outlet for Michael Andrus

January 20, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

For Michael Andrus, art means freedom from reality because it allows him an outlet for change and a way to be in tune with his creativity. Andrus, recognizes how art has been a temperately reproach of getting away from prison drama. He named his pieces “Leaders of Destruction,” and stated,“ I painted this piece to state that in America, … [Read More...]

Blas ‘Frank’ Chavez finds freedom through poetic expression

January 17, 2025 By Edwin Chavez

Poetry is not the exception to the rules of perfection. One can find their freedom by the way he/she/they/them chooses to live life behind bars. Blas “Frank” Chavez, (no relation to the interviewer) has been incarcerated for over eight years. A poet at heart, Chavez tries to find his own freedom through the narrative of his … [Read More...]

Violin program provides space for authenticity and non-judgment

December 26, 2024 By William Burley

An incarcerated-led music program conducts weekly lessons teaching residents basic and technical violin skills. The entry-level class takes place every Tuesday morning from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in San Quentin’s Chapel C. The course’s participants are issued written permission notification slips, authorizing them to be loaned a violin, bow, … [Read More...]

Chalk artists cover Lower Yard with healthy creative expressions

December 8, 2024 By T. J. Marshall

San Quentin medical staff and resident artists, teamed up on the facility’s Lower Yard to promote “Art Health and Wellness” through creative expression. All levels of artistic ability and mistakes were welcome, showing attendees how to process emotions, through improving their coping skills in order to reduce stress. “I’m so impressed by the … [Read More...]

Resident Gabino Madera highlights Chicano culture through art

September 30, 2024 By Edwin Chavez

Art is just another way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. For artists like SQRC resident Gabino Madera, creativity comes as a form of connecting the dots with his roots by sketching out a collage of Mexican culture and Chicano art that blends the past with the present of what he considers his culture. This artist created a drawing … [Read More...]

Martin Rodríguez García creates happiness out of bread and water

September 21, 2024 By Edwin Chavez

El arte y la cultura, es moldeada por medio de la arena, pan, agua, pegamento, cera de piso (Wax), y claro también con el papel del baño. Para este residente, del Centro de Rehabilitación Martin Rodríguez García, el arte le ayuda a poder estar ocupado. Le ayuda con su salud mental de acuerdo a sus palabras, el recibe la felicidad de otros … [Read More...]

Former CSP Lancaster resident turns screenplay into film

September 20, 2024 By Marcus Henderson

TheatreWorkers Project screened “STAND!” a filmed spoken-word and movement piece based on writing by residents of CSP-LAC/ Lancaster’s A Yard on June 9, 2024. “STAND!” was performed by Deon Whitmore, John Njoroge, and Ernst Fenelon, Jr., each of whom has lived experience. Deon was a TWP participant while at Lancaster State Prison and was one of the … [Read More...]

Residents submit artwork to encourage flu vaccinations

September 13, 2024 By Michael Callahan

As Covid considerations have faded, for San Quentin residents, the memories and impact from the pandemic has remained prevalent when deciding whether preventive measures to combat the influenza are safe, effective — or even necessary. Seasonal influenza viruses are detected year-round but flu activity has usually peaked between December and … [Read More...]

Artist Anand Alexander connects to nature, world, and self through art

August 30, 2024 By Edwin Chavez

Art is another way to connect and to communicate with nature, the world, and one’s higher self. “The rumor is that I was painting with my fingers even before I could talk,” said Anand Jon Alexander. “My grandmother, yoga, and the temple walls of India, inspired my creative of expressions.” According to the artist, art is a powerful tool for … [Read More...]

Pink Floyd lyrics inspired artistic style

August 29, 2024 By Edwin Chavez

Motivated by the famous rock band Pink Floyd’s lyrics of “Echoes,” Kevin Shepler, a resident of San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, brought alive a one-of-a-kind piece of art. “This vision came to me in 1990’s before I could draw,” said Shepler. “I finally got to draw this about a year an a half a go. I was listening to ‘Echoes,’ One of the lines … [Read More...]

‘Mind soaring and heart reeling:’ Residents applaud poet Tshaka Campbell

August 27, 2024 By Aristeo Sampablo

The San Quentin library hosted poet Tshaka Campbell on the evening of Juneteenth with a showcase of his works. Campbell kicked off the night by reciting six self-describing, deeply personal poems detailing the African-American experience with slavery and oppression. His reading received a standing ovation by the nearly 50 residents in … [Read More...]

Drama therapy program offers a deep understanding of personal trauma

July 29, 2024 By Arsenio Leyva

Prison theater programs promote incarcerated persons to explore traumas and to address them in the form of drama therapy.  Maura Tarnoff, an English lecturer at Santa Clara University, has been bringing students to San Quentin Rehabilitation Center to participate in Shakespeare workshops, according to Santa Clara University.  The … [Read More...]

La exposición de arte de bordado

July 20, 2024 By Guillermo Hernández

Por Guillermo Hernández Y Adan Arriaga, Spanish Journalism Guild Writers  Los trabajos de manualidades han causado un impacto positivo para los residentes en el Centro de Rehabilitación de San Quentin.  En la biblioteca del CRSQ, se preparan para la primera exposición de arte del programa aguja de punto y serán exhibidas 17 … [Read More...]

Multi-talented resident youth inspires

July 14, 2024 By Jerry Maleek Gearin

Rap artist looks to make good on his talents once released from prison Tierney “TJ” Shellmyer Jr., 26, has been incarcerated since 2023; he was sentenced to two years and a half years for great bodily injury. He arrived at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on March 20, 2024.  “A goal of mine is to get my life back, have a perfect … [Read More...]

Resident paroles after serving the prison community using art to release hurt in healthy way

July 2, 2024 By Michael Callahan

After serving 25 years in prison, more than half at San Quentin, Bruce Fowler said he looked forward to reuniting with family, especially his daughter and grandchildren.  Fowler dedicated himself to service in the community and left lasting favorable impressions on residents and staff who met him. Despite the tattoos and his 6’3” size, … [Read More...]

Local band The Lemon Hammer performs classics for residents in Chapel A

June 14, 2024 By Stuart Clarke

There was dancing in the aisles and the playing of air drums during the foot-stomping and heart-pounding rock concert in San Quentin’s Chapel A on Saturday evening, March 16.  “Rock and Roll is here to stay,” sang Danny and the Juniors back in 1958. They were right, as experienced by a demure yet enthusiastic crowd that enjoyed the variety … [Read More...]

Artist Jose ‘J.D.’ Diaz draws with photo realism skill

June 12, 2024 By Edwin Chavez

Incarcerated artist Jose “J. D.” Diaz started taking drawing seriously about three years ago. When he first started sketching, he did not know in which direction he wanted to go. He recently started painting.  According to Diaz, his art resembles life itself. Much like a working on canvas or sketching, it captures “the impermanence aspiring … [Read More...]

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