Thursday mornings you’ll find prison art project manager Carol Newborg supervising her open studio class in “Arts in Corrections,” where San Quentin prisoners work to create works of art in various mediums.
Newborg began working with artists in 1985 at the California Institute for Women at Norco. She recently began her open studio class at San Quentin.
Newborg, an artist, is deeply involved in organizing art shows to display the work of San Quentin artists.
San Quentin artists’ work will be displayed in September at Alcatraz, the former federal prison that’s now a popular tourist attraction. “This is a great way to expose San Quentin art to the public,” Newborg said.
San Francisco’s library will also hold another art show for the prisoners in 2013.
“I love watching people who love art, grow and get better,” Newborg said. “It’s amazing how much art enriches people’s lives. That’s very visible here. The calm, relaxing, spiritual environment that everyone shares makes this place feel like a sanctuary.”
