DU Prison Arts Initiative Publishes Daily Art Journal “Sojourn: The Search”
Written by Dan Manzanares
Sojourn: The Search is a daily prompted journal born from the question: How can the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative (DU PAI) support our students on the inside during COVID-19 lockdowns?
In March 2020, we all were feeling hopeless and isolated, and we wanted to find a way to connect our inside community — those who are incarcerated, along with the Colorado Department of Corrections’ staff — to our community on the outside.
Our AIS Performance and Pedagogy Consultant, Dr. Clare Hammoor, came up with the idea of a year-long journal, where participants start working on it at the same time, starting January 1, 2021, and are given opportunities throughout the year to connect and share their work with each other via correspondence, social media, and virtual events.
With the help of artist Andrew Draper, who’s currently a resident at Sterling Correctional Facility, and funding from Arts in Society, DU PAI is now able to distribute 1,000 hard copies of Sojourn to incarcerated people and CDOC staff in all twenty-two state-run prison facilities.
About Sojourn: The Search
Sojourn allows a person to explore and grow their literary and visual art practice. Prompts inspire you to sketch, draw, paint, and write. More than that, the journal gives you the space to search for reflections about yourself, your culture and community, or the realms of pure imagination.
An example of a Sojourn prompt is:
Boxes of Sojourn available for sale.
“Does your given name show the world the you that you want them to see? If you could be called anything, who would you be? Another example is: Say hello to someone you care about today. Say it like you are grateful to have just found them after a long search. Jot down their response alongside your own feelings as a mini-comic strip.”
We’re hoping to make Sojourn an annual project with volume two being published in January 2022. In the meantime, please join us on January 1, 2021, as people inside prison and out embark on a joint journey into their creativity.
You can access a free PDF of the journal here >. If you would like a a hard copy, you can purchase one here >
Sojourn featured in the 2020 streaming event “A/LIVE INSIDE”
On November 21, 2020, we debuted Sojourn during our virtual showcase A/LIVE INSIDE. Dr. Hammoor introduced and encouraged the thousands of people tuning in to the event to download the PDF, which allowed those who did to interact more with the event.
Dr. Hammoor also spoke about the hope for Sojourn, the same hope designed to help incarcerated participants take care of themselves and feel like whole individuals.
About Arts in Society
Since 2016, Arts in Society has been funding individuals, grants, schools and government entities, with two-year grant awards of up to $50,000 per project. In addition to funding, grantees receive training, professional development, and marketing/social media support.
Funding is offered to projects in Colorado that are working collaboratively and utilizing the arts as an integral element for promoting social justice and community welfare.
Arts in Society is funded through a cohort of Colorado funders. 2019 funding partners include Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Hemera Foundation, and Colorado Creative Industries . Funds and support are administered via RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver. For more information, visit our the Arts in Society website.