Temple Times, April 26, 2007 (Temple University, Philadelphia, PA)

Project addresses incarceration through art

The incarceration rate in Pennsylvania’s Latino community is among the highest in the country. As a result, generational patterns of imprisonment are continuing to strain the lives of those who are left behind to heal from the effects of losing a family member to the prison system.

In an attempt to b ring this issue to the forefront, the Tyler School of Art’s Pepón Osorio an students in his “Art in Community” program collaborated with local families, artists, mentors and community agencies to create “Badge of Honor: The Project.”

The art installation project, which has been brewing for a little over a year in North Philadelphia, is based on the concept that it takes more than one person or approach to heal an entire community.

Over the spring semester, students worked closely with local families who have been affected by incarceration to craft pieces of art that reflect their loss, healing, growth and strong family ties. The art is permanently installed in the families’ homes.

Before-and-after photographs of the installations – collectively titled “Badge of HONOR” – are on display through June 8, with an opening reception on Thursday, April 26, at the Lighthouse community center. The event will include a performance by Las Gallas Artist Collective and a reconstruction of Osorio’s original “Badge of Honor” installation. Created in 1995, the original “Badge of Honor” consisted of two full-scale rooms that parallel the life of a young man and his incarcerated father.

JAZMYN BURTON