Surrender: Letting Go To Gain Perspective
“Surrender: Letting Go To Gain Perspective” is the first outcome of the CAA’s Prison Art Program expansion. The show features more than 30 original paintings and works on paper created by residents of the Walton Correctional Institution (WCI) who took part in the CAA’s first Prison Art Education program.
From April through June 2022, the residents participated in a weekly class led by artist and instructor Bradley Copeland who challenged them to let go of any predetermined plan and allow the enjoyment and exploration of the process to guide them.
“Painting with this method (or lack thereof) shows us the beauty in mistakes and helps us make sense of the mess in front of us,” said Copeland. “Instead of learning how to paint inside the lines, these men have been learning how to see differently. The paintings created in this program left plenty of room for happy accidents and magical messes, reinforcing the idea that all parts of the process are completely essential to the final piece, regardless of how messy, ugly or accidental.”
Participating artists for this special exhibition are John Alford, Jeremiah Goode, Thomas Hawkins, David Johnson, Josh Little, Albino Martinez, Dean Matthews, Williams Miles, Scooby, Timothy Squires, Trey Webster and Robert Patterson.
