New BMAC exhibit combines art with real life experience
The exhibit “Fractured, Not Broken” is on view at Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC), 10 Vernon Street, now through Sunday, November 1.
Designed, pieced, and painted by incarcerated participants in a quilting workshop at Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield, the quilt explores themes of transformation, redemption, resilience, and community connection. The project was created through a partnership between Interaction and the Vermont Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN) and seeks to create dialogue and build connections between people inside and outside prison walls.
Following a community tour throughout Brattleboro this summer, “Fractured, Not Broken” now includes more than 100 stitches and messages contributed by community members.
Correctional facilities are among the most understudied public institutions in America. The quilt incorporates findings from PRIN’s Prison Climate Surveys, making information about the climate at SSCF visible through art. The exhibition also includes the song “Redemption Road,” written by an incarcerated participant.
Interaction and PRIN will host a free public gathering at BMAC on Thursday, October 15, at 5:30 pm, to celebrate “Fractured, Not Broken.” The event will celebrate the completion of the project and the individuals and organizations who helped bring it to life.
The Prison Quilt Project was conceived and facilitated by artist and restorative justice practitioner Marie-Pierre Py of Interaction, in partnership with PRIN.
