Community Events

in the galleries

APRIL 6–27, 2008

opening reception (free admission)

Sunday, April 6, 4–7pm

AS220 Main Gallery

Rhapsody in Blue

a group exhibition by The Ceruleans

Open Window

new collages by John Trainor

Youth Gallery

New Works by Photographic Memory

AS220 PROJECT SPACE Located at 93 Mathweson St.

Interrupted Life:

Incarcerated Mothers in the United States

a travelling exhibition examining the realities

of current incarceration policies and politics

"Interrupted Life: Incarcerated Mothers in the United States" is an exhibition of 8 linked installation pieces that examine the facts and experiences -- the policies and politics -- of incarceration in this country today. "Interrupted Life" seeks to educate the community about the realities of incarceration, especially its impact on mothers and their children, in hopes of motivating viewers to find solutions to this major and growing problem in the United States.

Incarcerated women comprise the fastest growing segment of the prison population. Between 1977 and 2004, the female prison propulation in the U.S. grew from around 11,000 to over 96,000 -- an increase of over 750%. The drastic increase in the female prison population is largely the result of the war on drugs. Many incarcerated women are non-violent and most are mothers. While an enormous amount is spent on incarcaration -- in 2001, the cost per incarcerated person in Rhode Island was $38,503 a year -- resources for addressing drug problems, education, health care, and other needs of incarcerated people are profoundly inadequate.

Incarceration has devastating effects on families. Over half of incarcerated mothers were primary caregivers before arrest. Little support is available for mothers and their children to sustain a relationship during the period of imprisonment, and children have great difficulty visiting their mothers since many women are incarcerated far from home. Also, mothers risk losing their parental rights while incarcerated. The "Interrupted Life" exhibition uses stunning art to represent these and other issues that are all too invisible to most Americans, even in the face of mass incarceration today.

The Ceruleans are a group of active, award winning New England artists. Among the group are painters, illustrators and printmakers, from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine. Founded in 2005, Cerulean’s work can be viewed periodically in exhibitions throughout New England. Members of the group were originally educated in the visual arts at different schools located across the country and around the world, and each member has studied at one time or another at the Rhode Island School of Design. All are women and all share a strong belief that “art enhances life”.

Ceruleans meet regularly to draw and paint together, and to provide input and critique of each other’s work as most have studios and work on their own. The group relies on feedback from one another as each seeks to further her unique artistic style and vision.