Let’s Get Free’s Art Collection

This is an overview of Let’s Get Free’s Permanent Art Collection, which is meant to be borrowed to give voice to people in prison and create dialogue wherever it may be. The art has been gathered over the years from our annual art shows and years of collaborating with artists in prison. The biggest bulk of our art came from our 2020 End Death By Incarceration art show. We continue to add pieces.

Borrow the art collection

LGF’s Permanent Art Collection can be borrowed! You can borrow one piece, several pieces or the whole collection.

Contact: letsgetfreepa@gmail.com if you are interested in borrowing the collection.

View the art collection

This section is a work in progress – we’re still adding art and information to the collection.

The piece depicts an orange colored prison with grey doors chained shut on yellow gradient background. Above the prison there is text that reads, “What we lose.” Atop the prison, behind barbed wire, there are two grey cylinders from which two tubes with claws are holding the bodies of two women: the one on the left is colored in purple with long hair, the other is a skeleton of a person also colored purple. Along the tube to the left reads, “New Commit” leading down to the body, next to which reads “What will we do without her?” Along the tube to the right read, “LWOP” and “Medical Release.” Next to the skeleton on the right are the words, “What have they done with her?” Above the door of the prison are the words “…and what they say…” Above that are prison windows including three images: a green cross surrounded by the words, “Drink water, Lie down,” a grey brain next to the words, “You can read?” and red and pink depiction of the female reproductive system with the words, “Skank, Farry, Ugly, and Bitch.” In the foreground are four hands colored in purple. The hands are in various positions and each has a yellow rectangle with a word inside. From left to right they read, “No,” “Please,” “Why,” and “No.”
What We Lose by Elena House-Hay
The piece depicts a closeup profile view of the face of a beautiful Black woman. She has brown eyes, dreads, and pink lipstick. She has a small shining stud in her nose. In her hands, she holds a yellow and orange key that emanates a bright light. The background is black and maroon with white speckles and some additional gold swirls. You can see that she is in the dark, the key in her hand a warm glowing light. This piece is emotional.
The Key by Todd (Hyung-Rae) Tarselli
The piece is a portrait of Sheena’ King. She has medium length black hair with highlights of blue and orange and is smiling. She wears a pink collared shirt with orange highlights. The background is yellow beams emanating from the portrait over a teal background. In a circle surrounding the portrait is the quote, “We are not what we have done, we are who we have become” in cursive, blue text with a white outline.
Sheena’ King by Chris St. Pierre
This painting is composed of different shades of brown and has a warm and cozy feel and is primarily a close up of a person’s face. They are a Black person with hair in thin dread locks draping across their face with a brown eye peering through. They are cuddled up with an animal print blanket resting their head on the pillow.
Still Hoping (For that ‘Wake Up Free’) -Darrell Van Mastrigt
The piece depicts a closeup of a person looking towards the slot on a prison door where food would be passed, as they do when you are in solitary confinement. One hand is curled under the side of their cheek, the other is reaching towards the slot. The tones of the image range from tan to dark brown. The brown paper is crinkled catching the light.
Solitary by Todd (Hyung-Rae) Tarselli
This image depicts a person of color being eaten by a large clock while lying on their prison cell cot. The face of the clock is a wild animal, which is biting the prisoner and attempting to eat them. The numbers “11”, “12”, and “1” are visible on the animal’s forehead–the top of the clock. Looking over the prisoner in the top right corner is a hooded skeleton wearing a crown. A skeleton key hangs on a chain around the robed skeleton’s neck. The text “Coronavirus” is written on the left side of the skeleton’s hood. A bunch of letters are on the cell floor near the image’s bottom left. One letter is in the animal’s mouth. It says “Motion for relief Denied.” The other letters read “Pandem strikes US”, “Commutation Denied”, “Diabetes, Stroke, High Risk”, and “Grandpa, I hope that you are safe from Covid.” The image background is the prison cell’s stone wall, along with the cell door and its grated window
This Life is Killing Me by Duane Montney
A 0-foot lilac-colored woven tapestry banner with the word Redemption in large yellow letters
Redemption by Jenn Gooch
A small brown and white spotted fawn lays curled among yellow ferns on the ground of a forest. The entire image is painted on a leaf.
Fawn by Todd “Hyung-Rae” Tarselli

List of artworks (more coming soon!):

Sheena King by Chris St. Pierre, acrylic on canvas – 2020

Redemption by Jenn Gooch, 10 foot Hand Woven tapestry made with 30 letters – 2018

Fawn by Todd “Hyung-Rae” Tarselli, Digital print of acrylic painting on leaf – 2017

Still Hoping (For that ‘Wake Up Free’) by Darrell Van Mastrigt, acrylic on canvas board – 2020

What We Lose by Elena House-Hay, watercolor – 2020

Life Sentence by Augusto Gallardo, pencil – 2005

The Key, Todd “Hyung-Rae” Tarselli, Pastel on Black Paper – 2020

Solitary by Todd “Hyung-Rae” Tarselli, Instant coffee on a paper bag- 2020

This Life is Killing Me by Duane Montney, Pencil and Ink – 2020