The Inspiration of Agnes Gund
Agnes Gund, president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art.Credit...Damon Winter/The New York Times
I recently became aware of Agnes Gund and her incredible work to end mass incarceration using art and advocacy. I was familiar with her last name, but it was only due to her recent philanthropic work that she really stood out to me. In 2017 Gund sold her Roy Lichtenstein's Masterpiece artwork and used $100 million of the proceeds to start the Art for Justice Fund.
“It is my hope that by supporting organizations and leaders working on criminal justice reform, the Art for Justice Fund can inspire change and help pave the way for a better, safer future for our communities and the millions of people whose lives are devastated by mass incarceration.”
The purpose of the Fund is to direct grants to artists and advocates focused on reducing the prison population, promote justice reinvestment, and create art that changes the narrative about mass incarceration. There are four grantmaking strategies to support the objective to create public interest in ending mass incarceration with the goal of safely reducing the prison population in priority states. These strategies include:
1. Keep people out of prisons and jails
2. Shorten sentences
3. Promote re-entry
4. Change the narrative through art
Photo: New York Times
Gund has done an exemplary job of using art to make a change. Both by bringing awareness to a social justice issue that receives much attention yet little support and uplifting individuals creating legal shifts and personal gains. Two individuals who are Art For Justice grantees include Jesse Krimes and Russell Craig.
Jesse Krimes. Polanski
Jesse Krimes is a Philadelphia based artist and curator. During his six-year sentence, Krimes produced and smuggled out several pieces of art that explore how the media shapes and reinforces societal systems of power and control.
Russell Craig, a self-taught artist, is also from Philadelphia. Craig is involved in the Mural Arts Philadelphia Restorative Justice Program, where today, he collaborates as a muralist and teaching artist to court-involved youth.
In 2016, in collaboration with the Soze Agency, Krimes and Craig founded the Right for Return which offers fellowships for formerly incarcerated artists in all disciplines. The purpose is to support individuals using art to address mass incarceration and racial justice issues while working to create change.
Russell Craig. Three is a Crowd / The Death of Maurice.
Mural Dedication,Regenerationby Jesse Krimes, October 13, 2013. Pictured: Jesse Krimes, Russell Craig. Photo by Steve Weinik. Courtesy of Mural Arts Philadelphia.
“Our goal is to create a multiracial, national cultural movement that is foundational and lasts.”
The Right for Return Fellowship was the first of its kind and, since its inception, has had a transformative impact on alumni success, including a MacArthur Genius grant, a Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim Fellowships, and Creative Capital awards. As a means of furthering support in this area, Bader + Simon intends to create a similar program with the Bader + Simon Empowerment Fellowship that will support the tri-state community of formerly incarcerated artists in Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois. This fellowship will commence in 2024 with the opening of the physical space of the gallery. Our goal is to mimic the success and support that Right for Return has provided to so many others.
As we move forward with the construction of our physical space and continue online programming, we look forward to watching the exciting work that continues to be done by artists and activists, bringing forth awareness and creating much-needed change. And we can't wait to follow the lead of Gund, Krimes, and Craig by contributing to this crucial movement.