by Kaylee Padilla
On March 14th ,The Freedom Dreams Exhibit held their opening showcase in the Flaming Eggplant, amplifying the creative voices of men who are currently incarcerated at the Stafford
Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington. This came through the Solidarity Art Collective, a group of students part of the Organizing Effective Movements for Social Change class, taught by Prita Lal and Madelyn George . The program emphasized community learning generating momentum for organizing and building relationships with their intent being. Within this class came the creation of the Solidarity art Collective a ““a mutual aid group that supports prison artists and movement art projects led by prisoners. Our mission is to provide a platform to recognize our value, uplift our artistry, and amplify our voices so we can economically support our families and communities.” The exhibition included 12 different artists and several pieces of their work, with mediums ranging from paintings, medallions and charcoal sketches of portraits and pop art. Included as well was a mural of Sy Khan, Olympia activist, community member and KAOS contributor who had passed away this January. The mural included a sketched portrait, as well as painted vases representing Palestine, a nod to his activism within the Olympia community. Alongside this showcasing, people who took part in this program were able
to speak on their experiences in cultivating this exhibition. Wisa, introduced two poetry pieces titled Freedom Dreams and Infinite and Bright.
Cass Johnson, a student from the program, spoke on their collective groups reasoning on how
the idea for this exhibition came to be; there was an original focus on fundraising for those incarcerated to provide funds for commissary items, but then further expanded into fundraising
through their art, which was able to be auctioned off.
Johnson also spoke on the complications of communication between the students and people imprisoned, with not being able to physically go inside but only communicating through phone
calls. Johnson also spoke to the power of this art, calling it a “powerful form of resistance” In artist statements by those incarcerated provided by the Solidarity Art Collective, the
inspirations for art are discussed. Edmund “Eddy P.R.S” Washington recognizes his artistic ways as” a way to release emotional tension and stress. It’s like a form of therapy for me.”
Lawrence Johnson explains his inspiration to be a form of liberation from prison and “allows me to experience time, space and energy differently; to transform negative into positive, grief into
healing, and suffering into joy. The prison system constantly works against all of these things.” Johnson also discusses his glaucoma, a condition that affects one’s vision, and how it affects
the design of his art and always emphasizes on the eyes in each piece. This should also be taken as a sign of symbolism, as Johnson writes “And there are things I still want to see in this
world: Liberation for all poor and oppressed people. Safe and flourishing habitats for all nonhuman beings. Love, peace, abundance, and freedom for all.”
Artist bios can be found on solidarityartcollective.org, as well as other ways you can support the
incarcerated men at Stafford Creek.
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