INCARCERATEDLY YOURS, issue iv Connected
prison renaissance zine 2021
DEAR READER, The following collection is the product of a radical collaboration between 13 artists in vastly different spaces, who otherwise may not have encountered each other. The work of seven incarcerated artists, who have been in correspondence with six Stanford student artists, is featured in this year’s collection. From Wisconsin to San Quentin, this year’s zine issue has been made possible by the talent and dedication of organizers, artists, and students.
Although the past year has created greater physical distance between us, this work is a testament to the power of community. We hope to create a space for reflection and healing as our world emerges from the pandemic. Some of us lost loved ones. Many of us fought for our health along with millions around the world. We are still standing in solidarity with one another.
We hope you will join us in remembering those who remain with us in spirit, and in celebrating the loved ones who bring color and warmth to our lives.
IN SOLIDARITY, Prison Renaissance Zine at Stanford
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Where We Are....................3-4 COVID in Prisons..................5 Artist Bios.....................6-8 COVID Tribute.....................9 Anna & Aaron..................10-12 Lamavis.......................13-16 Bruce & Vince.................17-18 Ty & Sequoiah.................19-20 John & Tori...................21-22 Jimmy & Grace.................23-24
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E R E W E W E WHER Lora Sam
Jimmy Aaliyah Anna Aaron Ty Nancy Bruce John Netta
Arushi Surya Linda Lamavis
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Tori
Anastasia
Lucy
Whitney
Sarah Michelle
Maryam
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COVID IN PRISONS In June 2020, the CDCR negligently transferred individuals from a known COVID hotspot to San Quentin State Prison, sparking a public health disaster. Organizers mobilized to demand mass releases across CA state prisons, jails, and ICE detention centers.
“Decarceration remains the only public
health solution to this global pandemic
inside and beyond prison walls.” Quote from #StopSanQuentinOutbreak Coalition
After that, San Quentin was ordered to reduce its population by 50%. In Nov. 2021, a judge ruled that the CDCR violated the 8th Amendment rights of the incarcerated community at San Quentin during COVID’s peak. However, the judge refused to reduce prison populations, citing the availability of vaccines. Prison officials failed to provide adequate testing and precautions. Gavin Newsom’s early release efforts left behind a compromised population of elderly individuals. He blocked a vaccine mandate for prison staff, resumed intakes to CA state prisons and juvenile facilities, and failed to reduce prison populations to safe occupancy levels. Vaccines are essential but not enough to prevent COVID spread in overcrowded prisons. As of Jan. 2022, 51,931 incarcerated people in CA have tested positive and 245 have lost their lives. A recent outbreak at Central CA Women’s Facility had 123 active cases despite an 81% vaccination rate. Only 65% of staff were vaccinated. CDCR population has reached pre-pandemic numbers at over 114% capacity statewide.
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Graphics provided by UCLA Law’s COVID Behind Bars Data Project
Spikes represent the cumulative cases in a facility for incarcerated people 1 3.3k 6.7k
PR ZINE TEAM
& ARTIST BIOS
aaliyah webster Stanford graphic designer
ty lindquist
Aaliyah is a freshman from Hemet, CA interested in the criminal justice aspects of the public policy field. In her free time, she enjoys making visual art and producing music.
Norco artist
sarah kim Stanford graphic designer Sarah is a visual designer who embraces community collaboration and inclusion in her work, including with the zine. Her favorite way to explore history and identity is through making, researching, and conversing about art with friends and strangers.
john hines Norco artist John is a writer whose work primarily focuses on issues of equality in America. He helps run Prisoner’s Key, a nonprofit that reunites incarcerated parents with their children and reduces recidivism through education.
Ty is a former systemimpacted artist who was released in February 2021. His style of poetry comes from his desire to be a voice for the voiceless, highlight important events, and give encouragement. He says: thank each and every one of you for this opportunity to express myself in a positive outlet.
maryam khalil Stanford organizer Maryam Khalil is a junior at Stanford from Misruta, Libya, and Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She joined the zine in 2019 because she knows that the carceral system in America is a reflection of the global police state, and she wanted to learn more about how art can be a radical revolutionary practice from talented artists like Mesro and the rest of the Prison Renaissance team.
nancy lopez
Stanford organizer Nancy is a psychology student interested in border issues and decarceration. In her free time, she is probably making music, taking photos, or playing with her cat Momo. She joined the team after being inspired by the radical collaborations central to the project.
sequoiah hippolyte Stanford artist Sequoiah (she/they) is a filmmaker and writer whose art practice is rooted in expanded narratives for Black women and queer folks. She is extremely passionate about art as a mode of deconstructing systems of oppression. Sequoiah has been working alongside Ty through PRZ for the past two years, and is very grateful to have met such a captivating writer and lifelong friend.
tori qiu Stanford graphic designer & organizer Tori is a junior interested in painting, drawing, and philosophy. She joined the zine as a freshman after learning about the prison abolition movement and how art intersects with revolutionary politics.
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grace scullion
bruce fowler
vince pane
Stanford artist
San Quentin artist
Stanford artist
Grace Scullion is a junior majoring in American Studies, dancing, reading, and writing. Through her correspondence with Jimmy Medel, a Native visual artist in San Quentin, she has learned about the history of the Yuki people of California, their art forms, and their current fight for justice, and she is grateful for this publication for allowing readers across the country to do the same.
Bruce never knew art before he came to prison. If he had, he believes he would have made better decisions. Because of art, he feels that he is free, even behind these cold walls and locked doors. Art is his key. You can support his work at the Facebook page “Art by Bruce Fowler.” Artist’s statement: Art is my life preserver in a melancholy sea.
Vince enjoys making things and understanding their connections to the materials they are made of; he hopes the materials he uses can build up the purpose of his works and add to their fluidity. He has made over 50 small sculptures and is now working to scale up his work, understand the history of each material he uses, and replace his wardrobe with only homemade clothing.
jimmy medel San Quentin artist Jimmy thanks the Art in Correction Correspondence Course, all of his instructors, Carlo, Katya, Dunya, Sonia, Ned, Jun, Hines, and Beth. He also gives a big thanks to Grace, Nancy, and others working with Prison Renaissance for this opportunity to share art creation and honor his ancestors with his painting. Jimmy has been released since Oct. 2021. Artist statement: “My painting is new, but the roots are old. I don’t think it is bad to seek inspiration and to find your understanding from old things. When my art is viewed my borders are personal and play a part in bringing all of our Nations together again.”
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lamavis comundoiwilla San Quentin artist Lamavis was born in Long Beach, CA and was raised in Compton. He started drawing in 1998 at the request of his parents, and later, in 2018, started painting while in prison. He says, “Art is when wisdom of life meets the divine, because it allows me to show the gift God gives.” His work has been featured at Derby University, UCLA, SFO, Marin County Fair, Public Policy Institute, Marin County Court, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
lucy rickerich
Stanford organizer Lucy is a junior studying Human Biology. As a dancer, she is moved by how art as communication transcends words, especially those words that might otherwise be silenced. She joined the team three years ago after a conversation with Mesro that made her realize the full connective power of artistic collaboration and its role in prison abolition.
Special thanks to: Selby Schwartz • Mesro Coles-El Michelle Chang • Netta Wang Emile DeWeaver • Adamu Chan
anna jayne kimmel aaron thigpen Stanford artist & organizer Anna is a dancer, scholar, and educator who believes we must listen carefully to the stories held in our bodies. She writes about protests, assemblies, and gatherings—the crowded moments where we feel the presence of those around us.
lora supandi
Norco artist Aaron is a driven artist whose poetic sensibility and musical talent amplify his voice in the world. Through revision and an attention to detail, Aaron captures his experience with nuance, making a stranger feel welcomed in his space. Shared artist statement with Anna: “How lovely it is, this thing we have done—together”, Toni Morrison’s 1993 Nobel Prize Speech
arushi gupta Stanford organizer Arushi is a sophomore studying Urban Studies and Computer Science who enjoys reading fiction, doing crossword puzzles, and playing with her dog. She joined the team because she believes that art is a powerful, collective medium for imagining alternative, post-carceral futures.
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Take a moment to honor the lives of incarcerated people lost during the pandemic. The following names were compiled by Mourning Our Losses and represent lives lost in California prisons and jails. For a more complete list, visit mourningourlosses.org. If you would like to add a loved one’s name, please email mourningourlosses@gmail.com. Carlos Oropeza Canez * Devernie Ford * Aaron Coderre * Mel Henson Madonna Watson * Tuc X. Tran * Danny Mendoza * Forrest Lane Henry Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald * Samuel Little * Michael Marin Esther Griggs * Angel Marie Kozeak * Rodney Beasley * Timothy Morales * Victor Dominguez * Terrell Young * Levele Williams Antonio Vasquez * Danny Roman * Joseph Felix Diaz * Edward Clark Salvador Garcia * Jose Ortiz * Marcos Trevino * Joe Banks * Mario Garcia * Philip Rivers * Thomas Grimes * Miguel Martinez * Steve Garcia * Carlos Villanueva * Michael Milan Ramadanovic * Jason Kegin * Isaac G. Ruiz * Edel Loredo * Omar Younes Hasenin * Tramond Thomas * Juan Boyzo * Marvinesha Johnson * Soo H. Kim * Daniel King Rosendo Echevarria * Mohamed Yusuf * Daniel Lee Vadnais Christopher Carey * Mamoudou Kaba * Efrem Stutson * Oliver M. Boling * Jimmie Lee Houston * Eleonora Kubansky * Julio Boch-Curup Benito Stefano Carrasco * Ezekiel McCoy * Victor Cruz * Dan Santiago * Ransome Anderson * Choung Woong Ahn * Steve Bencom Erica McAdoo * Manuel Sassounian * Deandre Austin * Roger Reece Kibbe * James Alan Neal * Ah Le Fang * Maurice Antoine King Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejía * Travis William Fletcher Travis Mitchell Welde * Elazar Black * Ian McCuan * Spiros Fonseca * Lazaro Alvarez * Anthony Chon * Nathan Lee Brogan * Kevin Lamar Mills * James Odle * Royce Lyn Scott * Jose Francisco Guerra * Lonnie Franklin * Charles Edward Crawford II * Richard Eugene Stitely * Joseph Safarino Cordova * John A. Stephens III Scott Erskine * Manuel Machado Alvarez * Dewayne Michael Carey Gerald Edward Johnson * Joaquin Diaz * David John Reed * Daniel Ruiz * Francisco Ramirez * Darrell A. Gautt * Jeffrey J. Hawkins Troy Ashmus * John “J.B.” Beames * Siverin Whitney * Eric William Warner * Joseph C. Townsel * Johnny Avila * Orlando Gene Romero Pedro “Pete” Arias * Ralph Ruiz * Kory Saunders * Alan Beisel Gilbert “Bobby” Polanco * Gary Michael “Mike” Madeux * Michael Hampton * John “Spanky” Brown * Dan Dunlap * Wilfred “Shiloh” Brown Eduardo Velazquez * Michael Anthony Remijio * Tamario Smith Oscar Rocha * Donald Nelson * Kelton Bruce Ankeny * David Werksman * Alan Gene Gibson * Amber Marcotte * Gabriel Wibier Michael Webber * Bradley James Ghilarducci * Michael Fleming Stephen Cino * Rex Damon Begay, Sr. * Leonard Auerbach * Eduardo Robles-Holguin * Scott Douglas Cutting, Sr. * James Lino * Adrian Solarzano * Michael McDonald * Eddie Lee Anderson * Belinda Rodriguez * Paul Gill * Jared Morgan Ross * Brian Masterson Steven Johnson * Scott Hultman * Carlos Lozano * Norman Duncan Horace Nelson * Victor Bigman * David King * Joseph Earl Morton Adam Terrance Rogers * Mark Armendo * Gregory Lynds
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A Black Rose By Aaron Thigpen
Through my complexion is layers of perfection lord knows I have suffered radical neglection and battled your oppression without an ounce of yo affection a Black Rose stemmed from a vine that was nourished by the sun and created by a Black Soul on a back road it’s that cold petals of my pain decorate my Black Throne.
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Mama, I tried to make it, stepped on, violated. Mama, I tried to take it, but I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe like George Floyd with a knee on his neck. Say my name like Breonna Taylor. If Black Lives Matter when we gone see our respect. Scratch that the definition of equality means we gone need our respect Hashtag # Hashtag that a Black Rose rise like any other color defund the evil face that took the lives of many other brothers the Police.
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Screams of Black Men being beat serenade our city streets. There’s no peace a Black Rose, the one they oppress in a cruel way we been mistreated enough but today is a new day. A blue moon no longer, a Black Rose to stay.
Edited by Anna Jayne Kimmel
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New Americana
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This exquisite painting was inspired by a vision of future Americans. The portrayed woman’s features
LAMAVIS COMUNDOIWILLA
are glimpsed in the faces of people across the country, black, brown, and white alike. New Americana
is a representation of a society in which we stand together, rather than in opposition to
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each other. During one of my many chats with
Lamavis, we reflected on what citizenship means to us today, and how our country is being
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transformed by the strong voices of the younger generations.
— Nancy Lopez
Comundoiwilla believes that contemporary art carries the same potential for political advocacy and social change. His investigation of modern art grew more multifaceted when Comundoiwilla realized that painters like Picasso and Dalí drew inspiration from Ancient Egypt. “Why do we refer to Picasso as the father of cubism,” he asks, “but we don’t acknowledge the Egyptians who he got his inspiration from?” Because of this question, he strives to reclaim the stolen, eradicated art of precolonial civilizations.
Untitled Text from Lora Supandi’s profile of Lamavis in the Stanford Daily
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Comundoiwilla made it his mission to study precolonial African history. In this endeavor, he discovered long records of the greatest matriarchal societies to ever exist,
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such as the Candaces of Meroe who were the queens of the Kingdom of Kush. Unlike the patriarchal nature of Western societies, the Candaces exemplified the strength of a matriarchal governance.
Amani Candice Appalled by the hypersexual, degrading portrayals of women in Western mass media, Comundoiwila turned to the Candaces for a radical muse. He paints Black women, inspired by the historical queens of Meroe, because he wants to change the way we depict them in today’s society. His painting, Amani Candice, is a vibrant recreation of Kandake Amanirenas, the queen who defended her kingdom against the armies of the Roman Empire.
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2042 is a tribute to what the future will hold in the United States of America.
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This country was stolen from the Native Americans and the Mexicans. It was built by Black slave labor. The industrial age would not have ever happened if the railroads weren’t created by Asians, and I can’t wait for this nation
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to belong to
the people who built this country.”
— Lamavis
Untitled Text from Lora Supandi’s profile of Lamavis in the Stanford Daily
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Bruce created these sketches based on a tattoo on his hand.
BRUCE AND VINCE
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Vince designed this shirt based on Bruce’s sketches.
Vince was selected to compete in a recent season of American Ninja Warrior! He donned their creation to recognize Prison Renaissance Zine and the radica. collaboration we stand for. Bruce and Vince have submitted to the zine for three years in a row now, and their friendship is a testament to the power of connection. Whether through visitations or snail mail, the pair have accomplished much together.
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Dark Days There’s a moment in September That left us all teary in a way, Thick blankets of unhealthy air Disorientated, is it night or day? Washington St. to California acres just burning away Out of control wildfires turn the skies grey. Thirty-five people, the death toll in August. Climate change the culprit for the chaos outside, Smoke lingering from Canada to California Surely, there’s no place to hide. Landscape as dry as Death Valley’s salt flats The surface now scarred like a prisoner’s tats. We know this is the result Of ignoring science, With Earth’s environment we’re all playing craps. Now, several wildfires ravage the West Shorthanded with heroes Incarcerated firefighters, now frontline with the best. The workload is extreme Yet showing solidarity is the overall test. Who could’ve imagined?? Mushrooms of smoke that are viewed from space, Like something volcanic, better yet apocalyptic Eerie orange skies make us feel out of place. If I could just awake To find this is a dream, I’d tell the whole world Better those in my country Of disasters to come, and a sight yet unseen.
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Better Days Better days are coming, if not present Desires that fit your heart’s intent Better days are coming, indeed The universe will suit our needs If we can see it in our mind And believe it’s not hard to find Use faith as a vehicle for touch And speak it into existence as such, then Better days are coming So, can you stand the downpour of rain? Can you endure life’s challenges and pain? ’Til we’re embraced by the sun’s warm caress And the beauty of it all melts away the stress Just remember Better Days are coming
TY LINDQUIST 20
PEARLS B4 SWINE By John Hines The oval office, Cemented with toxic *sediment, Need some evidence, Checkout Nixon’s negligence, A façade “War on Drugs” Wishful sentiment, Evil tactics employed, to remain president,
*P.I.C., Been enslaving ever since, Nixon, tried to monopolize to monopoly,
*Deep throat gave him up properly, Would have lost the vote probably, Felon, no vote, state property, Harder to own property, Attacking these truths honestly, Clinton’s 3 strikes be killin me,
*Induced genocide literally, We’re diamonds not property, jewelry, Navigating our youths odyssey,
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In God’s eye’s all pearls obviously,
*Militant gardeners is what you ought to be, I’m suffocating, can barely breathe, should they bleed?
*We are all we need, Upgrade our thoughts n pedigree, Last time I’ve seen, Love taste much better, Than hate n greed!
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JIMMY MEDEL
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Transformation Mask by Jimmy
The powerful Transformation Mask has an important place in the lives and mythology of the North West Coast people. I was inspired by Richard Hunt’s amazing “Totem Pole Transforming from a Hawk to a Man”, and his “immature Thunderbird.” Native art is very much alive. Some design might come in a vision. There is a spirituality about Native art. It speaks of its power.
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My name is Jimmy Medel. My mother’s name was Imogene Louise Tillotson-Medel. Her father was Byron Tillotson (Yuki & Pomo) and her mother Delphine Manuel Calzado (Coastal Miwok, Kashaya, and Southern Pomo). As you can see, I have that Native blood line that truly comes from Round Valley Reservation located in Northeastern Mendocino County in Northern California. In 1851, the governor of California declared that a war of extermination would continue to be waged until the Native people went extinct. That year, organized lynch mobs killed Yuki. Yuki faced a choice: starve to death on the reservation or take a risk and be slaughtered by Gold Rush miners and settlers. It is long past time we shine light on this darkness. To all my relations, as Indigenous people, I know they all died with dignity. They struggled hard for their existence. By 1864, only 300 Yuki Natives remained. I’m dedicating my painting, “Transformation Mask,” to my Ancestors. I want them to know my thoughts of them are in each brush stroke as I created this painting in honoring them. May the Creator bless everyone with the fruits from the tree of life. I see a time of seven generation, when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacret Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again.
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Respectfully, All my Relations, Jimmy Medel
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in solidarity, the prison renaissance zine at stanford
