Call for visual art and poems from artists on both sides of the prison walls
This year’s theme:
This Is Me
How can art help you express the complex parts of yourself, your world, and your experience? How does our unjust carceral system impact you? How can justice transform the way we see ourselves and others?
Let’s Get Free invites artists and poets to create work that represents you. This year’s theme was suggested by Sheená King, who is on our prison advisory board. Our committee chose this theme because knowing each other, and letting ourselves be known, is part of how we build and strengthen our movements.
The theme is expansive; it can be interpreted many different ways. Whether you choose a realistic, surreal, abstract, or other approach, this year’s art show focuses on space for sharing ourselves with each other. “Let’s Get Free” is a call to all of us, to get free together. Because no one is free until all of us are free.
Let’s Get Free’s 7th Art Show is a fundraiser. By submitting art or poems to the show you are consenting for your art to be auctioned and sold to raise money to support Let’s Get Free. By submitting artwork and poems you are consenting to allow us to post and use your artwork to raise awareness on different platforms. We will credit you and share any posts we make with you! Any art that is not auctioned will be saved and sold in our “cash and carry” store the following year.
This is a contest. This year we are hosting a contest solely for artists and poets in prison. We consider all art from people outside of prison an offering of solidarity in support of the movement to end mass incarceration.
Submission deadline:
September 1, 2024 (extended!)
The show will open in November of 2024 at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Send art and poems to:
Let’s Get Free Art Show
460 Melwood Ave #300
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
“This Is Me” Submission Guidelines
We love receiving artwork connected to the theme. HOWEVER, if the theme doesn’t inspire you – PLEASE – GO ROGUE AND SEND ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE 🙂
VISUAL ART: All mediums welcome, no size restrictions. Illustrations, collage, paintings, sculpture, charcoal, textiles, cross stitch, sculpture, blankets, you tell us…. You can submit as much visual art as you like. We can’t accept digital-only submissions from Artists in Solidarity; if your art is digital but you are not currently incarcerated, please send us a physical copy of your art to be a part of the show.
POETRY: Please submit only one poem. Because of the volume of contributions and our limited capacity, we’re only able to accept one poem submission per person. If you submit more than one poem, we will pick one randomly as your submission. Poems must be 2 pages or less. Due to space limitations we can’t accept poems longer than 2 pages. Thanks for understanding!
Prizes for Artists/Poets in Prison
Prize categories may change slightly. More categories may be added depending on our resources.
Visual Art Prizes
Piece that embodies the theme: $100
Outstanding first time submission: $100
Outstanding use of materials: $100
Outstanding textile: $100
Piece that moves our movement: $100
Poetry Prizes
Poem that embodies the theme: $100
Outstanding poem to set to music/song lyrics: $100
Piece that moves our movement: $100
Poem that reveals/speaks the truth/takes the wool off our eyes: $100
Scholarships for Art Supplies
If you are incarcerated and participated in our contest in any of our previous art shows, you are eligible for an art supply scholarship if that will enable you to participate in this year’s show. Please email for more details. There are a limited number of scholarships, with priority given to women and trans prisoners.
Shipping scholarships
If you need financial support to ship your piece, email us. People in prison write through snail mail.
Questions: artshow@letsgetfree.info
The show benefits Let’s Get Free: The Women & Trans Prisoner Defense Committee