| Interrupted Life features works by incarcerated mothers 
Photo by Jeff Watts
Mothers of young children are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. prison population, with most women sentenced to facilities more than 150 miles from home. The pain of that separation—for both mother and child—comes to life in the emotionally charged exhibit, Interrupted Life: Incarcerated Mothers in the United State, which is on display through Apr. 21 in the Katzen rotunda. Sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, the exhibit features eight installations, which explore the prisoners’ hopes and fears, and the challenges they face in preserving, from behind bars, a bond with their children. Some of the pieces, including Centerpiece, were crafted by incarcerated women. Centerpiece features a collection of postcards that were distributed to thousands of women in 25 facilities, who were asked to express their feelings about life in prison—either through words or art. The cards have been grouped by topic and assembled into a wall installation. Other works, like Stretched Thin, a mixed media installation by photographer Stephen Shames, offers the children’s perspective. The work features clothing and photographs documenting a trip the youngsters’ took to visit their mothers in prison. Stretched Thin also incorporates the kids’ letters, drawings, and diary entries. Interrupted Life is curated by photographer Rickie Solinger. For more information about the exhibit, contact 885-1300. —AF 
|
