Reckless Law, Shameless Order
Co-organized with Nasrin Navab and Pablo Mendoza
2022, workshops with formerly incarcerated artists about connections and disconnections created through incarceration globally, exhibition at the Krannert Art Museum at University of IL Urbana Champaign.
Murals for Justice
Co-organized with Aaron Hughes for Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project
2020-2022, six murals designed by artists at Stateville prison in a class Aaron and I taught with PNAP; murals are part of a public exhibition at Dusable Museum titled Resilient Voices, Curated by Dorian Sylvain; 52nd Ave and Morgan in Back of the Yards; 3711 W. Chicago Ave (and forthcoming mural in South Shore!).
The Long Term
Co-curator with Damon Locks for Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project
2018-2020, a travelling exhibition of work including a risographic portfolio, a body collaborative works made with artists at Stateville prison, a series of video interviews (ed. Sarah Ross) and and audio installation (ed. Sarah Ross). Exhibitions at Arts and Public Life, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Art on 51st St, Chicago, IL; Compound Yellow, Oak Park, IL; Dominican University, Forest Park, IL. 2018-2020.
A portfolio of risographic prints developed in collaboration with Aaron Hughes and Dave Pabellon and twelve Chicago area artists responding to the book project The Long Term: Resisting Life Sentences, Working Toward Freedom at Art In These Times. 2018
Screening of The Long Term animation at Third World News Reel, Pivot Arts Festival, Block Museum at Northwestern University, Eastern State Penitentiary and beyond, from 2019-present.
Still Here: Torture, Resiliency and the Art of Memorializing
Co-organizer of the commissioning process for Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Project.
2017-2019, project included research with survivors and CTJM members to develop a criteria for designing a memorial; commissioning six artists to develop designs, hiring a curator, mounting exhibition and organizing a jury to select a final memorial.
It’s Now
Co-organizer for a public project and collaboration with Aaron Hughes for Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project in North Lawndale and Washington Park.
2017-2018, community mural project at a vacant building in North Lawndale and at the Washington Park Fieldhouse. Partners included the National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated, University of Illinois Museum and Exhibition Studies Program, Men Making A Difference, Night Out in the Park, and Washington Park Advisory Board.
Mitigating Evidence
Co-curator for exhibition with Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project and Free Write Literary Arts
2016, project put into conversation work developed by youth in Cook County detention center and adults in Stateville Prison. Chicago Art Department, Chicago, IL.
Weight of Rage
Curator for Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project.
2016, an exhibition and parallel events including performances from Just Yell Poetry; a workshop with 96 Acres; a double feature film screening of newly released “A Place to Stand” and a 1970 film “The Insiders”; and a creative writing workshops with students from Village Leadership academy. Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL.
The Material that Went to Make Me.
Co-curator with Laurie A. Palmer at South Side Community Art Center and Tim Barnett and Vida Sacic at NEIU Library for Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project.
2014, at South Side Community Art Center events included a roundtable discussion with Black Arts Movement artists who taught in prisons and a performative reading.
2016, at Northeastern IL University Library, events included a screening of “Girl Trouble” with the school’s student group of Formerly Incarcerated Standing Together (F.I.S.T.).
From the Ground Up
Co-organizer with Lindsey French and Laurie A. Palmer.
2015, exhibition with faculty, students based on a balloon mapping trip along the Calumet River. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
At the Headwaters
Co-curator with Lindsey French and Laurie A. Palmer.
2015, exhibition about industries and the environmental concerns along the Calumet River in south Chicago including students and artists Sarah Lewison, Dan Peterman, Marissa Benedict and others. Miller Gallery, Miller Beach, IN.
Creative Resistance in a Prison Nation.
Co-curator with Kevin Kaempf.
2014, a monthly forum on creative responses to mass criminalization and incarceration. Sullivan Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Jane Addams Hull-House, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL.
Perspectives from a Life Held Captive
Curator for Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project.
2013, exhibition and events including a workshop, film screening of Tirza Even’s “Natural Life”, and panel discussions with Shobha Mahadev of Northwestern Law School, Mariame Kaba of Project NIA, Evan Lyon, University of Chicago Medical School, Charity Toliver of Black Thought, Black Action, Benny Lee of National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated. Three Walls Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Reparations on My Soul
Co-organizer for Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Project.
2013, exhibition and events including a panel discussion on international reparations and performances that considered ideas of reparations for Survivors of Burge Torture. Through art and organizing this collective helped win a historic Reparations Ordinance for survivors of Burge’s torture. Art In These Times, Chicago, IL.
Opening the Black Box: The Charge is Torture
Co-organizer for Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Project.
2012, exhibition of speculative memorials and events including a workshop, film screenings, poetry readings around the Survivors of Chicago Police Torture under police commander Jon Burge. Through art and organizing this collective helped win a historic Reparations Ordinance for Survivors of Burge’s torture. Sullivan Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
2012 Cities and Inequalities. Co-curator with Ryan Griffis. Exhibition of artist/social justice movement posters for conference and book of the same title. University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. Champaign, IL.
Regional Relationships
Co-curated with Ryan Griffis
2009-2011, bi-annual subscription mail-art project that commissioned artists to make work about the social, economic and political entanglements of what might be otherwise seen as disparate places.
2010 “…in a most dangerous manner”.
Co-curated with Steven Lam; Exhibition about global economic collapse. SPACES Gallery. Cleveland, OH
The World We do not Live in (Yet): visions from an Illinois State Prison
2009, Co-organized with University High School Students. Exhibition and panel discussion with high school students about school to prison pipeline. Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL.
The Audacity of Desperation
Co-curated with Jessica Lawless.
2009, Traveling exhibition of works related to elections and the political scene. Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL and Sea and Space, Los Angeles, CA, and PS122, New York, NY (organized by Steven Lam).