Rising opera singer Sara LeMesh brought her musical talents to San Quentin State Prison, mesmerizing her captive audience with her singing and charm. In the prison’s Catholic chapel, LeMesh used the power of her soprano voice to entertain an audience of more than 100 as she ran through a set of 19 songs on a Sunday evening in August. The men appeared focused as LeMesh sang, relaxing them all into a contemplative mood. “I never thought I’d see this in prison,” Benito Sosa, 32, said. He arrived at San Quentin six months ago. “I think … [Read more...] about Rising operatic star mesmerizes SQ
Arts
San Quentin musical event showcases lyrical artists
Rap music has become heavily materialistic lately, but true “MC-ing” resurfaced on San Quentin’s Lower Yard, as visiting artist Kev Choice Ensemble and an array of young San Quentin lyricists moved crowd. At the August 24 yard show had a mosh pit of young prisoners “turned up,” as their generation calls it. They danced wildly, pumped their hands in the air and popped invisible collars on their state blue shirts, as they surrounded the makeshift stage. The multi-talented pianist and rapper Kev Choice was the definition of positive … [Read more...] about San Quentin musical event showcases lyrical artists
Long road to perform Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
It is a long road to a performance of Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” held on May 18, and “Comedy of Errors” on May 25. The cast has been rehearsing since last November. How a theater troupe creates the rollercoaster ride of emotions expected at a Shakespearean play is a mystery to most audiences. To appreciate the effort that goes into building that rollercoaster ride, you will have to go behind the actors’ curtain and see the real secrets of the theater troupe sponsored by the Marin Shakespeare Company at San Quentin. “Tragedy and how we … [Read more...] about Long road to perform Shakespeare’s “King Lear”
Using poetry to build bridges
A Colorado group called Words Beyond Bars is building bridges between prisoners and the public through poetry. Words Beyond Bars (WBB) hosts a poetry-reading event every other month at a public library in partnership with another organization, Unchained Voices. Community members listen to the thoughts and words of the prisoners and write responses to the compositions. The feedback is then given to the incarcerated poets. “We build connections that our current injustice system endeavors to disrupt,” Elie Zwiebel, a member of the Words … [Read more...] about Using poetry to build bridges
San Quentin Arts in Corrections At SFO
Don't miss "Flying Free" at SFO through October 24!! Accessible before security- Terminal 3 near United Baggage carousel Terminal 3 Arrivals-Level 1 - Pre-Security July 25, 2018 - October 24, 2018 https://www.flysfo.com/museum/exhibitions/san-quentin-arts-corrections-flying-free Carol Newborg, Program Manager San Quentin Arts in Corrections Carol@WilliamJamesAssociation.org WilliamJamesAssociation.org facebook.com/PrisonArtsProject … [Read more...] about San Quentin Arts in Corrections At SFO
The show goes on for SQ Shakespeareans
Drama therapy was in full display on May 18 as a nine-day quarantine ended at San Quentin for inmate performers in the Shakespeare play King Lear — a week later, the prison was on normal program for Comedy of Errors. “First, I was in shock,” said Jason Robinson about West Block getting off the quarantine. “But, Steve Emrick (Community Partnership Manager) said, ‘The show must go on.’ I was humbled that the administration made it happen, so outside people could see this play.” The King Lear Performance Robinson played Oswald, a servant to … [Read more...] about The show goes on for SQ Shakespeareans
SQ artists raise money for the fight against cancer
Artists incarcerated at San Quentin used their talent to raise money for cancer research at Cords Gallery during a First Friday art walk in Oakland. “I’ve been so inspired by the work of men inside who want to give back to their community and give back in creative ways, to not just support each other inside but to make an impact on the lives of folks in the greater community outside,” said Samantha Feld, a member of the San Quentin Compassionate Accountability Responsibly Expressed through Service (SQ CARES) committee that organized the … [Read more...] about SQ artists raise money for the fight against cancer
Butterscotch comes back to perform for TLM
A crowd of incarcerated men cheered like it was their parole day when Antoinette “Butterscotch” Clinton took the stage at San Quentin State Prison June 14. This time, she returned with Grammy-nominated artist Ryan Leslie. The musical genius turned a prison chapel into a concert, a reunion and a pre-graduation celebration for computer coding and construction apprentice trainees. The music festival featured spoken word artist and returning citizen Jason “JC” Cavitt, Swedish Grammy-nominated rapper and producer David Jassy, and Eric “Maserati … [Read more...] about Butterscotch comes back to perform for TLM
Brothers in Pen anthology – “Pens Up, Don’t Shoot”
ANNOUNCEMENT The title of the latest anthology in the “Brothers in Pen” series, Pens Up, Don’t Shoot, arose from the phrase protestors rallied around after Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014. So much has happened since then. This book’s first stories began to be compiled in 2015… but due to its editor’s molasses-like qualities, it was not finished until now. Please go to our blog, brothersinpen.wordpress. com to find out all about it! Please read it, pass this post along to announce its … [Read more...] about Brothers in Pen anthology – “Pens Up, Don’t Shoot”
Alex Massart at the Matterhorn
"25 percent of millennial-age American men think asking a woman who is not a romantic partner to go for a drink is harassment, "according to a recent survey by The Economist/YouGov reports The New York Times 1-17-18. “This is the most asinine act I’ve ever seen a police officer make.” Joseph T. Deters, Cincinnati’s top prosecutor told reporters regarding a bodycam video in which officer Raymond M. Tensing killed Samuel DuBose with a shot to the head during a traffic stop in 2015. Nytimes.com/national “No third Trial for Ex-Officer Who … [Read more...] about Alex Massart at the Matterhorn