Alcatraz was once known as one of America’s worst prisons, where the hardest of hardcore criminals were sent. Now it’s a place where ex-prisoners can explore art and where others come to view these creative expressions.
Located on an island in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz today is a national park and come 1.4 million people visit it annually to tour the infamous cell blocks and more.
“Until October, if they venture to a derelict building on the island’s north side, they will also encounter giant images of serving and former prisoners. They are not the faces of notorious criminals such as the ‘Birdman’, ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly or Al Capone; rather they are current and released inmates of Californian institutions who aspire to something more than infamy,” the Economist reported.
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The exhibition is called “Future IDs at Alcatraz” and it runs through October 19.
“Led by artist and Arizona State University professor Gregory Sale, and in partnership with the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Anti-Recidivism Coalition and more than 20 other community organizations, ‘Future IDs’ showcases artwork by individuals who were, or remain, incarcerated, as they consider their identities beyond being inmates reduced to a last name and a couple of digits,” The San Francisco Examiner reported.
More is planned after “Future IDs at Alcatraz.” There are monthly programs every third Saturday co-presented with organizations including Actors’ Gang Prison Project and Young Women’s Freedom Center that address issues around reintegration and rehabilitation.
It’s all presented in partnership with the Art in the Parks program of the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Headlands Center for the Arts, according to the Parks Conservancy website.
