In conjunction with our summer exhibit, Finding Hope Within, HSM is pleased to present a lunch time panel discussion with the artists and curators of the exhibit in the Cerf Gallery, followed by a gallery tour.
The panel will feature a diverse group of speakers deeply engaged in this work, including:
A formerly incarcerated poet, Kalanni Gagne, currently in fellowship with the Vermont Folklife Center, who gifted art during her incarceration and now uses poetry to process significant trauma and reclaim her voice.
Anna Jennings, poetry facilitator at Southern State Correctional Facility.
Jess Kell, Parenting Coordinator with Kids-A-Part, supporting incarcerated mothers and their children.
Kylen Veilleux, Director of the DIVAS program, supporting incarcerated survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Contributors from Vermont Works for Women and A Revolutionary Press, exhibition curators and partners that empower individuals to recognize their skills, creativity, and economic potential during and after incarceration.
Together, the panelists will explore the wide range of artmaking taking place inside Vermont correctional facilities—from poetry and painting to mixed media and therapeutic expression. They will share how art becomes more than just creative output—it is a vehicle for healing trauma, building confidence, developing critical thinking skills, and cultivating hope in times of deep isolation. “Art becomes a method for practicing critical thinking skills, creative problem solving, and having a purpose” says Heather Newcomb, one of the exhibit curators. “Another benefit to fostering art in the correctional setting, is to showcase the humanity behind those bars, and the restorative pathways that art awakens in these women. Come see the artist within and the hope they possess for the future”. The discussion will also shed light on the obstacles incarcerated individuals face in pursuing artistic expression, and the community support that helps make their creative work possible. In doing so, it invites the public to reconsider whose stories are told in museum spaces and how artistic practice can affirm humanity, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Free and open to all.
Generously sponsored by a St. Stephen’s community grant.