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 in the lyrics is ‘By chance, two separate glances … [Read More...]

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 attendance. “I do not own this gift, so I must share it … [Read More...]

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 of rock numbers performed by The Lemon … [Read More...]

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 towards the finished piece.”  “Art is an … [Read More...]

Resident artist discusses how the Japanese art form translates to rehabilitation For Daniel Le, origami started as a curiosity. Having watched origami artists on YouTube videos inspired him to learn more about the art form. Eventually, Le created a signature piece of origami art — fireworks.  “When I am doing origami I am thinking on the steps that I need to take, that I’ve learned in … [Read More...]

The process took months. It required dozens of telephone calls to lawyers. It required a lot of legal mail, both sent and received. It also required much hope. In the end, the effort – and the hope – paid off. Former San Quentin resident Luciano Borjas said he received a resentencing under 1172.1(a). Just prior to his departure from San Quentin, he said he would still have to deal with a … [Read More...]

Art begins with creation through imagination and, for Ray Ochoa, through his motivation to make a living. Ochoa’s art began with a sponsor who once had worked as an artist and now owns art galleries in San Francisco and Hawaii. That sponsor was the first to encourage him to create art. “I learned to draw by looking over the shoulders of murderers and thieves,” said Ochoa. “This was my art … [Read More...]

Driven by hunger, the need for means to survive inside a prison walls gave life to innovation and creativity displayed in hidden gems of art. In 2015, California sent Moises Ramos and many other prisoners to Arizona because of overcrowding in CDCR facilities. He had left his family and loved ones and did not have the means even to purchase ramen soup. “Me and my bunky decided that we … [Read More...]

Through arts and crafts, many incarcerated people have found ways to express themselves and have found ways to communicate their creative endeavors with the outside world. Beadwork has existed since early humans hung shells around their necks and beads used in arts and crafts remain popular to this day.  Sheb Isbell, a new arrival at San Quentin, brought with him a new level of innovation … [Read More...]

David Hernandez re-purposing everyday scraps into art gems  All art has unique ingredents. San Quentin resident David Hernandez creates sports logos and handbags from common materials that anyone else would consider useless and throw away. He has adopted the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as an artistic credo.  “I learned these techniques so that I can stay busy and my time goes by … [Read More...]