Events

Prison is Where Relationships Go to Die with Antonio Howard - Blasco Library

Prison is Where Relationships Go to Die with Antonio Howard - Blasco Library

Join us for a conversation with local artist, author, and community leader Antonio Howard, joined by Erie Arts and Culture's Patrick Fisher. Antonio will discuss his approach to art, how it has been shaped by his experiences with the carceral system, and the importance of information access in prisons.

Antonio was sentenced to life in prison at just 15, and began studying and creating art as a way to give voice to his experiences. Art can be a powerful tool for incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated people to connect with their communities. If "prison is where relationships go to die" - the title of one piece by Antonio, exhibited by the Erie Art Museum in 2019 - then art is one way for incarcerated people to rebuild relationships and combat systematic isolation.

Antonio is a pardon fellow for the Pardon Project of Erie County, as well as an organizing member of Erie's Participatory Defense Hub. He also sits on the board of directors for the Mental Health Association of Northwestern PA. Erie locals may recognize Antonio's work from the walls of the Erie Food Co-op or the Manus Sunoco building. He is a 2021 recipient of a business start-up grant awarded by the Erie County Redevelopment Authority for murals by Antonio Howard, LLC. His art is currently on display on the first floor of the Blasco Library.

This event will take place in the Peninsula Room of the Blasco Library. It is free and open to the public, and registration is not required.

Erie Arts & Culture

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