FROM WITHIN: An Art Show Born from an Unlikely Friendship
Six incarcerated artists. A pop-up art show. And a friendship that started with a painting and a thank you note
What happens when a white guy from Maine who went to Bowdoin College and a Black man from Brooklyn who went to prison decide to create something together?
This Is That Story
Last January, I shared the story of how I bought a painting called “Mother Earth” at a silent auction.1 I reached out to the artist through a prison messaging app. I just wanted to thank him. To let him know someone on the outside saw his work and was moved by it.
His name is Tremayne Seymour. That thank you note turned into a friendship that keeps getting deeper.
What neither of us knew was where it would lead.
It led here. To an art show called FROM WITHIN.2
And I am excited to share that the show opens Thursday, May 21 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Revision Energy in South Portland!
I’d love for you to come. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.
Here is a little bit more about the story of the show.
Photographs taken in the outside world are sent to 6 men inside Lawrenceville Correctional Center in Virginia. The artists choose photos that speak to them and paint their interpretations. Every artist brings their own eye, their own story, their own experience to the image. What comes back is something none of us could have made alone.
While it starts on the outside, it comes from within.
These men are creating beauty from inside a system that was designed for disconnection. Their art is a refusal to be reduced to a number or a sentence. Every painting in this show is proof that transformation is possible, even in the hardest places.
Every Item is Priced Around the Number 13
That number is intentional.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, with one exception. It includes a loophole for people convicted of a crime. That loophole allows incarcerated people to work for pennies an hour while corporations profit from their labor. In most state prisons, wages range from $0.14 to $0.63 per hour. In six states, incarcerated workers earn nothing at all.
Every item in the show is priced based off the number 13. Original paintings are $131.30. Prints, postcards, calendars, and other items are priced on multiples of 13 and range from $13 to $52. Every price is a reminder that the story of the 13th Amendment isn’t finished.
Where the Money Goes
FROM WITHIN is a fundraiser supporting ArtVan,3 a Maine-based nonprofit that delivers mobile art therapy to underserved communities at no cost. Their mission of transformational healing through art mirrors what these men have experienced inside the prison walls.
A portion of proceeds also goes back to the artists to help them stay connected to their loved ones on the outside.
More Shows Coming
After the opening, FROM WITHIN will pop up at community spaces around Maine throughout the spring and summer. Here’s what we have on the calendar so far.
May 21: Opening Show at Revision Energy, 758 Westbrook St, South Portland
June 5: First Fridays Art Walk at Orange Bike Brewing, Portland
June 12: Second Fridays Art Walk at The Mix on Park Row, Brunswick
July 9: Second Fridays Art Walk at Reverie Coffee House, Brunswick
I would love for you to come see what these men have created. I think you’ll be moved by it! Here is the RSVP link again.
And if you’re interested in hosting a pop-up at your location, please reach out at heart-strong.org/from-within.
Learn more about the adventure at www.heart-strong.org
https://www.heart-strong.org/from-within
https://www.artvanprogram.org/