Morning Sun, Darrel Van Mastrigt, acrylic on canvas, courtesy of SCI Graterford.

Inside/Outside @ Art in City Hall is a juried exhibition of art created by Philadelphia prisoners and ex-offenders in cooperation with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.  Jurors Ona Kalstein and Michele Marcuse traveled to Graterford Prison several times to evaluate and select art created within the high walls of the prison system.  DoN was immediately drawn to the immediacy and sense of detail many of the pieces incorporated as if every little bit of the world around us is so important it must be memorialized.  The painting above is a typical street scene to any Philadelphian, just close your eyes and think about how much we ignore on your own street and what you would remember if you were not allowed to go home.

Mayor Michael Nutter explained how over the years prisoners have gifted him with portraits as thanks for visiting the prisons on New Years Day each year.  After the collection grew the Mayor suggested the Art in City Hall team take on the challenge of displaying the work resulting in an emotional, beautiful, historic and unique exhibition of art.

Bugs, Thomas Schilk, melted plastic spoons.  Using found objects, prison artists must glean materials from their environment, Schilk’s Bugs are fun, fantastic and subtle with realism and wit.

E. Sherman Hayman, Inside/Outside, Art by Prison Inmates & Ex-offenders @ Art in City Hall.

Glamorous guns depict the emotional reliance on weapons and the signification of the silhouettes is contemporary and on trend with embellished frames.  Showing images of guns in the show is a display of courage by the Art in City Hall team; guns are glamorized in pop & rap culture from Lady Gaga & Beyonce’s Video Phone music video to Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal to movies, TV and games – guns are sexy and scary.  By not editing content, the show offers a glimpse into the psyche of those attracted to weapons and violence.

A simple thing like watching a dog play at the beach is a pleasure lost when you’re incarcerated.  DoN can’t imagine being kept away from watching KaTy the ArT DoG & Lady Doofus play in the water.  DoN believes this  painting is by Bernardo Ruiz, the label slipped – if incorrect, please comment.

J. Johndi Harrell, Young Weezy, anyone who knows rapper Lil Wayne knows this portrait is superb with a hard look at a pop culture hero who’s spent time in jail yet is super-successful in the entertainment world creating a conundrum for young people who worship pop heroes.

Thanks so much to Tu Huynh, Art in City Hall Program Manager, the art shows in City Hall put a spotlight on the creative talent in Philly both Inside & Outside.  Kudos to Jane Golden and The Mural Arts Program for their outreach into the Philadelphia prison system and Mayor Nutter for connecting the dots in a way that helps prisoners and ex-offenders as well as the citizenry at large.  The show is free through October 29th, 2010 – go see some great art today.