How do we better understand the historical context of Rikers Island jail and its legacy of mass incarceration within New York City through the visual arts?

Participants will explore the history of mass incarceration in New York City, first by engaging in an interactive timeline experience, then through the review of visual arts projects bringing attention to human rights abuses within carceral spaces. Finally, participants will create a piece of artwork based on their new collective understanding of mass incarceration in New York City and leave with resources to further their creative advocacy efforts.

Together, we will develop some of the following skills and/or insights:

• Historical knowledge: Through the visual arts, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the history of Rikers jail from its inception to its present-day legacy of human rights violations.

• Advocacy tools: Together, we'll brainstorm several advocacy resources to help us take action to support the closing of Rikers jail and to better educate our community members around the human rights violations at the jail itself.

• Art expression: Participants will have engaged in a short piece of art-making to help them better process the emotions that arise from learning about Rikers jail’s legacy of violence.