Inauguration of the Center for Art and Advocacy’s First Physical Space
The Center for Art and Advocacy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting artists who have experienced incarceration, is set to launch its inaugural physical space on Thursday. Located in the vibrant Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, this new hub will open its doors to the public with an exciting exhibition titled “Collective Gestures: Building Community Through Practice.” This exhibition showcases a diverse array of works created by the center’s talented fellows.
Jesse Krimes, the visionary founder and executive director of the center, has utilized his own successful art career as a platform to uplift and empower other artists who have navigated the challenges of incarceration. He describes the center as “a learning space and exhibition venue where we’re striving to connect our artists with the broader art world.”
The exhibition features an eclectic mix of visual art, writing, and film from recipients of the center’s interdisciplinary fellowship program. Since its inception in 2017, the center has awarded the $20,000 fellowship to 42 deserving artists. In addition to fellowships, the center provides mentoring, professional development, and creative opportunities, fostering a supportive community for its cohort of artists.
- From left to right: Kate Fowle, chairwoman of the center, and Jesse Krimes, artist and co-founder of the Center for Art and Advocacy.
- Credit: Lindsay Perryman for The New York Times
“Collective Gestures” is curated by both Krimes and Kate Fowle, who serves as the chairwoman of the center’s board. Fowle is also known for her previous role as the director of MoMA PS1, where she notably curated the groundbreaking exhibition “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration” in 2020. Every artwork displayed in “Collective Gestures” is available for purchase, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $40,000. Remarkably, the artists will retain 100 percent of the proceeds from their sales, a significant departure from the typical 50-50 revenue split found in commercial galleries.
The center’s new 2,600-square-foot ground-floor space, situated within a newly constructed mixed-use business development, represents a concrete step forward in Krimes’s long-term vision to amplify and celebrate the voices of formerly incarcerated artists across the nation.
