Struggle, Loss, and Persistence Underscore the Ford Foundation’s Powerful New Exhibition About Female Prisoners in America—See It Here

While museums around the globe are closed to the public, we
are spotlighting each day an inspiring exhibition. Even if you
can’t see it in person, allow us to give you a virtual
look. 

“Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women of
Louisiana”
Ford Foundation Gallery

What the gallery says: “‘Per(Sister)’
explores one of the most critical issues of inequality and
injustice facing our nation today through the lens of a population
too often overlooked. According to the Prison Policy Initiative,
women’s state prison populations in the United States have grown
834 percent over the last 40 years—with Louisiana currently having
the 19th-highest rate of incarcerated women in the world.”

“‘Per(Sister)’ seeks to educate and build awareness of the
crucial situations arising before, during, and after incarceration.
Stories of loss, hope, despair, survival, triumph, and persistence
are shared in a variety of forms, demonstrating simultaneously the
universal struggles faced by communities impacted by incarceration
and the personal resilience of each woman featured.

The exhibition is divided into four sections that explore the
root causes of female incarceration, the impact of incarcerating
mothers, the physical and behavior toll of incarceration, and the
challenges of and opportunities for reentry for formerly
incarcerated women.”

Why it’s worth a look: In this
illuminating show, the stories of 30 women who have been, or are
still, incarcerated in Louisiana put a human voice to staggering
statistics.

Some of the most startling aspects of the exhibition are in the
cold data that is published in the catalogue (and available as a
pdf online): that the majority of women who are locked up are
victims of abuse, struggle with mental health problems, are
mothers, and are nonviolent offenders. Taken together, the plight
of the women who are facing such obstacles is even more impressive
when it is accompanied by news of their successes, and their drive
to encourage others by sharing their stories.

The show was originally staged at the Newcomb Art Museum at
Tulane University, in the heart of a community dealing firsthand
with issues stemming from the growing incarceration rate for
women.

What it looks like:

The post Struggle, Loss, and Persistence Underscore the Ford
Foundation’s Powerful New Exhibition About Female Prisoners in
America—See It Here appeared first on artnet News.