SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Gallery at the VAULT presents “Faces of Mass Incarceration” by Rein Kolts, from May 3-24.
This show is a moving collection of portraits accompanied by poetry and short prose from men imprisoned at Southern State Correctional Facility (SSCF) in Springfield, Vt. The artist, Rein Kolts, is himself an inmate at SSCF.
This display coincides with the release of a book of Mr. Kolts’ work, “Sketches from Behind Prison Walls,” which will be available at the Gallery at the VAULT, as well as online.
The opening reception will be on Friday, May 3, from 5-6:30 p.m., featuring a brief talk with Devon Kurtz, who leads a Quaker worship group at the facility. Devon curated the collection, and is the author of “Sketches from Behind Prison Walls.”
“Faces of Mass Incarceration” is presented at a time when more than 1.2 million Americans are imprisoned, often in neglectful conditions. In the past two years, more than a dozen men have died in Southern State Correctional Facility here in Vermont. This context highlights the urgency of art that communicates the humanity and dignity of people in prison.
Gallery at the VAULT is located at 68 Main Street in Springfield, and is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 802-885-7111, email galleryvault@vermontel.net, or visit www.galleryvault.org or Facebook. The gallery is ADA accessible.