Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Art & Krimes by Krimes

About today’s film:
Art & Krimes by Krimes, 2022 (MTV Documentary Films; English; 85 min.)

While locked up for six years in federal prison, artist Jesse Krimes secretly created monumental works of art—including an astonishing 40-foot mural made with prison bedsheets, hair gel, and newspaper. He smuggled out each panel piece by piece with the help of fellow artists, only seeing the mural in totality upon coming home. As Krimes’s work captured the art world’s attention, he struggled to adjust to life outside, living with the threat that any misstep will trigger a life sentence.

A panel discussion that includes formerly incarcerated artists Jesse Krimes and Russell Craig will follow the screening. Through the lens of art, the law, and decarceral activism, panelists will talk about the current state of the criminal legal system, the power of art, and how we can plot a course toward ending mass incarceration.