Justice Arts Coalition’s exhibition art hanging systems and equipment

Justice Arts Coalition has just moved into our first headquarters and gallery space in Takoma Park, and we're so excited to finally be able to host our own exhibitions of works by the system-impacted artists in our network. We hope to begin installing art hanging systems and art storage equipment over the next month, and plan to launch our first small exhibition in February, featuring artwork and writing created by participants in our CorrespondARTS program, a multi-disciplinary distance learning arts engagement initiative that we started when the pandemic forced all programming in prisons to be discontinued. CorrespondARTS currently serves 20 people confined to the Howard County Detention Center and this will be their first opportunity to share their creative work with the local community. Because they won't be able to participate in the exhibition in person, we will facilitate ways for visitors to share their reflections in writing with the artists. This feedback, as we've heard time and time again from artists in prison, is incredibly validating and motivates them to keep creating. We are requesting funding to support the purchase of art hanging systems, frames for artwork, installation supplies, and printing publicity materials. My practice centers on bold, community-based projects that bring art into daily life. Rooted in the belief that art should be a joyful, accessible experience for all, I create initiatives that engage diverse audiences, especially underserved communities. Support from the Tour de Force Foundation will fund 300 more copies of Amigos of the World, a bilingual coloring book that is part of my larger project, ARTidotes 4.0: Colors of Humanity. Rooted in my 21 years teaching in the Youth Art Program at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), the project celebrates the DMV’s cultural diversity through illustrations of children from various backgrounds. The first 300 copies—partially funded by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation—are being distributed for free at CHAW, public libraries, community centers, and tiny libraries. At the Capital Art Book Fair in April, we distributed 50 copies and held a signing and family activity with strong community participation. Due to the book’s success, the Art Museum of the Americas (AMA) is sponsoring 100 more copies, now in production, to be launched at a family workshop and signing event on June 8. This project builds on previous bilingual coloring books: Arte Para Dibujar y Colorear/Art to Draw and Color (2022), supported by DCCAH and Mt. Pleasant Library (600 copies), and AnimalandiaDC: Colorful Poemas of Endangered Species (2024), supported by DCCAH, CHAW, and Main Street partners (1,200 copies). Project Timeline 4/5/25: Launch/signing at Capital Art Book Fair; 50 copies distributed. 6/8/25: Workshop/signing at AMA. 6–10/25: Ongoing distribution via CHAW, AMA, and DMV locations.