Birds of Freedom
Inmate participating in creating the mural
Inmate participating in creating the mural
Inmates at the Hamilton County Jail were challenged to create a mural expressing their message to people “on the outside.” After discussing the stigma associated with being an offender and the “us vs them” culture they experience, participants decided to demonstrate the idea that after rejoining society, they could be worthwhile citizens capable of creating work that beautifies neighborhoods. To best depict this idea, they settled on the theme of birds, beautiful creatures experiencing freedom.
Inmates started by drawing bird structures that evolved into individualized birds crafted from their imaginations. Digital versions of their drawings were organized into a composition sized to fit the billboard’s location during photo shop sessions in the jail classroom. The birds were scaled, traced onto parachute cloth, and then painted during their classes.
Mark Making has hosted classes in the Hamilton County Jail almost every Friday night since 2012. From preliminary discussions to the finished piece, Birds of Freedom took one year to complete. During that time, about 75 inmates attended art classes funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission and had a hand in creating this mural.
Comment from inmate evaluation: “I learned and am still learning how to deal with and work with people. Learning a lot of art skills is fun. I love everything about this class.”
For more information, please visit www.Markmaking.org and its Facebook page: Mark Making.