ALBANY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — A local library is featuring artwork from a group of unlikely artists. The free exhibit showcases 42 pieces brought together by the Prisoners’ Legal Services to illustrate another side of incarcerated individuals.
Adorning the walls of the Albany Public Library on Washington Avenue is a new art exhibit from artists who will not have the chance to see their work displayed on the walls. Mary Cipriano-Walter, the Pro Bono Director with Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, explained, “It’s always made me incredibly sad. But also very touched.”
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She envisioned the exhibit as a window into the lives of those confined to a cell. Cipriano-Walter explained, “You are kind of getting rid of that stigma of incarcerated person or inmate or prisoner. Taking away the label society has given you and letting it speak for itself.”
The collection, called “Untitled: From Behind Bars,” features pieces coloring in a world from 18 correctional facilities across the state. Davide Coggins’s piece titled “Sunset Oasis” is an image of a beautiful sunset, something he can only dream of for the time being as his earliest release date from the Auburn Correctional facility is 2063.