Freedom Through Art Collective

“Serving a life sentence without any viable release date forces me to, literally, figure out alternate perceptions of reality. I must do this so that I am able to live in this prison-world as opposed to ‘serving time’. What’s the point of ‘serving time’ if it’s for the remainder of my lifespan? Even though I’m certainly aging, with already nearly 21 years in, starting when I was 31, I feel young in my mind, as if time stopped the day of my arrest. All my memories are, on the one hand, as if they’re from yesterday, while on the other hand, they’re fading with a simultaneous sense of terror that I’ll have no new memories to make. So, to ‘live’ in prison means to behave as if this prison-world is all there is, and to make this life worthwhile, I must be productive, creative, ambitious, especially diligent, and... as non-reactive emotionally, as possible. Living like I do, so often seems on the brink of ‘losing it’. When asked, ‘how do you do twenty years?’ I say, ‘I feel like I’m standing in the most awful line, forever waiting to get to the end and hopefully go home.’ Beyond that, I don’t know.”

Tony Ross Black is an artist currently incarcerated in Nevada.

“This is what freedom means to me. Finding who you are and not be ashamed. To be secure in yourself, to realize that we are all different. Having freedom is knowing yourself and following your own path. We are all united as humans, yet none of us are the same. Therefore to truly know who you are and being yourself is real freedom.”

David Chavez is an artist currently incarcerated in Rhode Island.

Wayland "X" Coleman was born in Birmingham, Alabama. In the late 80's, his family moved to Worcester, Massachusetts in order to escape their cruel conditions of poverty, and pursue a better life. Wayland sought comfort in art as a child and has been drawing for as long as he can remember. In 1989, at the age of eleven, Wayland received a scholarship to the Worcester Art Museum and attended for a year.

In 1998, Wayland "X" Coleman was sentenced to serve a life without parole sentence in Massachusetts state prison. In prison, he used art as a means of providing for himself, by making greeting cards, and drawing portraits of his incarcerated peers. In 2005, Wayland began creating comic book art. He designed a comic book called "The Prisoner," which he wanted to use a strategy to educate society about the issues and conditions inside of the prison walls. In the same year, he began creating other comic book characters and stories.

Wayland "X" Coleman is also a prisoner rights activist. He works with several activist groups and creates political art in order to bring awareness to important issues within our society. He can be found of Facebook @ facebook.com/wayland.coleman.7. You can also write him directly @:

Wayland "X" Coleman
W-65484

NCCI Gardner

500 Colony Rd

P.O. Box 466

Gardner, MA 01440

Jason Estrada is an artist currently incarcerated in California.

“Everyday I'd rather die than spend another day in hell inside of hell. I'm tired of the feelings of worthlessness, the feelings of emptiness, loneliness, hunger, the pain of having to walk around all day projecting an image while I battle for my life...if I would die today the men around me wouldn't even care. So I go to my art and find the light source needed to fight back. I make cards for men in here everyday and every time I think one day I will have that too, and that's the light that's the power, that's the freedom. No matter how dark it is for me, even in my darkness I can bring joy to someone. “

Juan Figueroa is an artist currently incarcerated in Massachusetts.

“I started writing children's stories and doing the paper craft when I first got to death row. It was a very low point for me and I really didn't know what to do with myself...my neighbor must have sensed that I was mentally in trouble, so he told me I should pray and ask God to give me an answer. Of course I thought he was full of crap! But later that night I said I might as well try it..I had nothing to lose! So I prayed and I prayed...God didn’t tell me nothing !!! I finally layed down and went to sleep. The next morning when I got up there was a piece of paper crumpled up on the table, where I tried to write a letter the night before. You know how you can look up in the clouds and see different objects? Faces, animals, things like that? Well the piece of paper looked just like a bird. Ideas kept flooding in my mind...I got me some glue and some q tips and started making things.

I think we all have some sort of artistic talent. Some people don't get to realize their because life takes them down a different path... getting arrested and sent to death row I was put in the position to either evolve or de-evolve. When you see artwork you're looking at a person's thoughts transformed in a three dimensional or two dimensional form...art is an expression of one's soul reflecting beauty, pain, and even horror that lives within. “

Michael Fox is an artist currently incarcerated in California.

John Gomes is an artist currently incarcerated in Massachusetts.

“I am a 48 year old man serving a second degree life sentence here at MCI-Norfolk. I was 18 when I was first incarcerated in Ohio and have been locked up since then... From the age of 9 to 15 my eldest daughter was molested by her step father. She has not had an easy life and I blame myself for that....she is an adult now and has two children. I started painting these cards for her a few years ago to show her that though you may be hurt and sad, you can still be beautiful and strong.”

Joshua Hopes is an artist incarcerated in Massachusetts.

“Time is a thief, the prison is its most cruel steward of its most ruthless, destructive forces. It only takes..the system took our love and poisoned it... “

Edward Liges is an artist currently incarcerated in Texas.

Juan Manuel Lopez is an artist currently incarcerated in California.

“Coming to prison I was going crazy. So in 2015/2016 I ordered some art stuff and drew out what was in my mind and a lot came out. It was a mix of art drawing and layouts of houses, which I loved to do. I needed and outlet so I don't lose myself in here.”

Christina Martz is an artist currently incarcerated in Wisconsin.

Jeff Murphy is an artist currently incarcerated in Missouri.

Patricia Olsen is an artist incarcerated in Massachusetts.

George F. Santos has been into art in all forms since a child. Art has helped him escaped a hate-filled world and achieve a zen-like state of mind. Art is not everything to this world, but it is more than enough to start the engine that moves the wheels of change.

George is an artist currently incarcerated in Rhode Island.

“I've been [drawing] seriously for about twenty years. But I have very little time to practice because I am constantly working to support myself. Texas prison doesn't pay us to work and the only hygiene they give us here a three oz tube of toothpaste every three months. I learned a nice work ethic though. This is why I worked hard to become a passable artist.”

Geremy Sledge is an artist currently incarcerated in Texas.

“One thing that can’t be stopped from us is our dreams, things we want to do or become when we are finally freed. “

Julio Soto is an artist currently incarcerated is Wisconsin.

“What is it like to be locked up...to have a world inside of you that no one knows about... so much to say, dreams within dreams? I cannot speak for every prison artist because each person is different...with that in mind I will attempt to answer this question from my own experiences and those of other artists I know. Being a prison artist often requires a McGuiver-like creativity as we come up with ways to invent ways to make common materials found at your local craft store.”

Eric Lee Tedana is an artist currently incarcerated in Texas.

Mark Thomas is an artist currently incarcerated in Massachuestts.

Miguel Medina is an artist currently incarcerated in New York.

My name is Christopher Robinson, I'm 34 years old and currently serving a second degree life sentence at MCI Norfolk here in Mass. Art and music has always been a huge component in my life as a means of finding my voice. I by no means am proficient in music as I just listen but with that I have a voice. My mother is my inspiration as an artist and her paintings from my childhood are images I will never forget. Though I can paint, sculpt and sketch to a degree I prefer to use ink.

Art holds so much worth for me because I believe it can give even the smallest person the voice of a giant. It allows us to share our pain, love, joy, or even our traumas in a way that is unique to the artist. In ways things that cannot be said verbally can be said through art.