Provost’s Colloquium Series at ESU to Present Talk and Art Exhibit, Cellblock Visions: “Set Free in the Penitentiary”

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Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on October 21, 2016, No Comments

As part of East Stroudsburg University’s Provost’s Colloquium Series, Phyllis Kornfeld, art workshop facilitator and curator of the upcoming exhibit Cellblock Visions, “Set Free in the Penitentiary,” will discuss the exhibit Thursday, November 3 at 3 p.m. in Cecilia S. Cohen Recital Hall of ESU’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite streets, East Stroudsburg.

The talk will open an exhibition, which will feature paintings, drawings and objects created by men and women prisoners in six states and can be viewed in University’s Madelon Powers Gallery November 1-22.

Kornfeld, an author, artist, and teacher of art to incarcerated men and women for 30 years, will discuss the lively collection of artwork, created behind bars, from county jail to death row, which reveals the power of artistic expression to transcend the rigidity and severity of confinement.

“Having been immersed in art all of my life – as a student, a painter, a teacher, a patron and friend of painters – I am convinced that art making is a natural human impulse and everybody has the potential,” Kornfeld stated. “But often, internal and external life events block the access.”

With minimal instruction and no previous experience in art making, inmates turn to art for a sense of self-respect, respect for and from others, a way to find peace. Transcending the cramped space, limited light, and narrow vistas.

Research into arts in prison programs show that inmates who participate in arts programs have fewer discipline problems, improved confidence, and reduced stress. They report feeling happier, better relationships with family and improved social relationships.

Cellblock Visions will be exhibited in Powers Gallery November 1-22. Hours for the gallery are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

The talk will be followed by a reception from 4-6 p.m.in the gallery.  The curator’s talk, exhibit and reception are open to the public at no cost.

Implemented by ESU Provost Joanne Bruno, J.D., the Provost’s Colloquium Series is designed to create an intellectual experience that promotes dialogue among faculty, staff, students and the community through a series of events highlighting developments in all disciplines and professions.

The talk, exhibit, and reception are co-sponsored by the departments of art + design and sociology, social work and criminal justice with grants from the ESU Foundation and the Center for Research and Economic Development.

For more information on the exhibit, talk or reception, contact the Fine and Performing Arts Events Line at esuarts.esu.edu or call 570-422-3483.