Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Art & Krimes by Krimes

Join us for a film screening and panel discussion focused on art as a tool for surviving prison and for critiquing mass incarceration. Featuring the film Art & Krimes by Krimes, directed by Alysa Nahmias, this event is presented by the Harvard Art Museums, the Institute to End Mass Incarceration, and the journal Inquest.

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.

Speakers:
Jesse Krimes, Visual artist
Russell Craig, Visual artist
Makeda Best, Richard L. Menschel Curator of Photography, Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums
Premal Dharia, Executive Director of the Institute to End Mass Incarceration, Founding Editor at Inquest, and Lecturer in Law, Harvard Law School

Free admission, but seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The lecture will take place in Menschel Hall, Lower Level. Doors will open at 5:30pm at the 480 Broadway entrance.
Limited complimentary parking is available in the Broadway Garage, 7 Felton Street, Cambridge.

Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museum.

Support for the program is provided in part by the Richard L. Menschel Endowment Fund.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance.