Many people are unaware of San Quentin’s rich history of artwork. There are murals abound through out the institution that catalog California’s history, along with the prison’s.
The best-known artworks are in the South Dinning Hall. Six 100-foot murals span the long walls of the chow hall and illustrate images of California.
Artist, Alfredo Santos won a contest to paint a mural on one of the dining rooms, and began painting in 1953.
With the help of two fellow prisoners, Santos worked nights painting the murals.
The murals depict scenes from California’s early history through its golden years. Movie stars and soldiers crowd the walls. A space rocket is pictured in one of the murals. This early illustration was painted in the infancy of the space race between the U.S. and Russia, and may be the earliest example of space ship art in murals.
The artists used monotones of raw sienna.
There is a common myth at San Quentin that Santos used coffee grounds or shoe polish to paint the murals, but the truth is he applied oil paint directly to the plaster.
“Santos was allowed only one color; officials feared inmates might steal paint and dye their clothes in an effort to escape,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Santos only takes responsibility for four of the six murals; the other two are not attributed to a known artist, the Times report.
In 1951, Santos was convicted of possession of heroin. He had limited training as an artist before being incarcerated.
“San Quentin is where I became an artist,” Santos told the New York Times.
The South Dinning Hall murals may be the most recognized murals in San Quentin, but they are not the only ones.
The mural on the Adjustment Center yard wall has weathered the years in the San Quentin sun.
Originally painted between 1982 and 1984, the mural depicts scenes from early world history such as the pyramids and Stonehenge. A depiction of earth dominates the center of the mural and there is an illustration of people of various ethnics groups held in the palms of two outstretched hands. Scrolled at the of the mural is, “We are the curators of life on earth, we hold it the palm of our hands.”
This powerful message empowers the viewer to remember to value life.
In 2006, prisoner artists Scott McKinstry, John Sklut, Ronnie Goodman, and Gabriel Enriquez restored the mural after it fell into disrepair under the direction of Artist Facilitator Pat Maloney.
Since the murals restoration a hole has been punched through the wall to allow access for a doorway into the Adjustment Center yard.
In 2012, another mural was started about 100 feet from the Adjustment Center’s mural. The mural is located on the exterior of the Max Shack.
It begins with an early depiction of the building of San Quentin by the North Block entrance, and wraps around to the roadway side of the building, depicting the Golden Gate bridge.
McKinstry designed the mural. Participants of the San Quentin Prison Art Project are contributing to the project. A rendering of the prison ship the Waban dominates the east side of the structure. From a distance, it appears as if you can walk right up on the deck of the ship.
The mural has been left uncompleted for now because of changing of correctional staff in the Max Shack, transfers of artist, and weather conditions.
But another mural project is underway.
A mural depicting a cityscape is under construction in San Quentin’s art studio on wooden panels.
The panels will eventually be attached to the North Dinning Hall’s walls when the mural is complete.
McKinstry is leading the project with the help of fellow prisoner artist Bruce “Bru” Fowler, Christopher Christensen, Justus Evans, Steve Smith, and James Norton.
“I want to put a lot of depth into the mural, and not to have anything to do with prison so guys can get away from here,” said McKinstry.
The William James Foundation sponsored the mural and had a fundraiser on the web site indiegogo.com to raise money for the project.
Artist Facilitator Pat Maloney was overseeing the project; however, he had to step down because of personal reasons. Lori Brooks – Executive Director of the William James Foundation has taken over the project.
McKinstry also contributed to a mural located in an upstairs room of the prison’s hobby shop.
The mural depicts classic cars in a garage setting.
“The mural was completely unplanned. We looked at cars in magazines and put them on the walls,” said McKinstry. It is unfinished because the hobby program has been shut down to all main line prisoners.
There is also a mural in the West Block rotunda that depicts Americana and the Bay Bridge.
Another mural, not seen by many people, dons the walls of Death Row. It depicts airplanes and ships.
The stairwell of the Nuemiller Building (The Old Hospital) depicts scenes of California’s Redwood Forest.
The interior of dorms Four and Five in H-Unit are dominated by murals.
In Building Four the walls are covered with waterfalls and prehistoric scenes of saber tooth cats and wholly mammoths.
Dorm Five features scenes of the streets of San Francisco.
The men who lived in these dorms created all of the artwork.
The murals of San Quentin have outlasted some of the men who painted them and will be a lasting legacy of their time behind the walls.
