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When Jesse Krimes was incarcerated in 2009 for a five-year sentence for drug possession, he made artwork. He started an ambitious and visionary patchwork mural while in solitary confinement, which was later shown publicly. Once out of solitary, he found other artists inside.
“The thing that was truly powerful that I learned when I was inside and met the guys that I was with — it’s like, we bonded, we shared conversation, talked about family, talked about aspirations, but through the process of making art,” Krimes said. “Each doing our individual thing, but that’s what brought us together.”
Since Krimes was released, his now celebrated art practice remains rooted in the experience of incarceration and the broader criminal justice system. He founded The Center for Art and Advocacy, an organization supporting artists affected by the criminal justice system.