Testimonials

Every partnership, project, and collaboration helps move us closer to a world where creativity, justice, and human dignity thrive. We are proud to highlight some of the organizations and individuals who have been part of our journey.

The best reflections of our work come from those we collaborate with. Hear directly from partners and community members about their experiences working with JustArts founder Wendy Jason.

Wendy's ethic of care is on point. She has been enormously helpful to me as a caretaker of art by formerly and currently incarcerated artists. I'd recommend her consulting services to anyone interested in building their art practice or learning how to navigate galleries and art institutions.

Steven G. Fullwood, Exhibition Coordinator, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration
I've known Wendy Jason for a decade and she's always been a stalwart community builder and ally. No one cares more about visual arts as it applies to and helps out incarcerated artists than Wendy. I'm looking forward to seeing where this next chapter of her career in the arts and incarceration space goes to with JustArts.

Fury Young, Founder & Co-Director, Freer Records
Wendy is a committed and reliable partner. She has leveraged years of trust building with incarcerated artists to create meaningful exhibitions that invite public conversation with incarcerated people. Wendy knows the power of this work, and knows that it is most powerful when it is consciously and responsibly executed. She has a step-by-step understanding of the effort it takes to thoughtfully collaborate with incarcerated artists and to showcase their works, and does this with necessary eye toward detail in order to ensure equity and empathy are an inherent part of the process.

Jeanie Austin, PI for San Francisco Public Library's Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People project
Few allies of incarcerated and directly impacted artists have done as much over these past few years to advance this collective work and elevate the voice and agency of artists inside than Wendy Jason. For anyone looking to work with incarcerated artists and navigate challenging dynamics and dehumanizing systems, I encourage you to engage Wendy and her growing community of experts and practitioners. It will facilitate understanding, improve lives, and generate new possibilities.

Helena Huang, Art for Justice Fund Project Director, 2017 — 2023
Wendy Jason not only adheres to her values, passion, and hard work to assist incarcerated artists in their struggles to get their art into the free world, she organized exhibits and numerous workshops on writing and the arts. She made sure the artist were paid. She carried on admirably the voice, style, growth of my mentor Judith Tannenbaum, who passed the Prison Arts Coalition torch to Wendy, knowing she would keep it real and flourishing! Keeping artist integrity on every level! Creating great programs and gatherings of artists. She was and is inclusive and does things the realness way! Bringing incarcerated artists work to the light!

Spoon Jackson, Poet, Artist, Co-Curator of Rabbits of Realness
I have worked with Wendy Jason for the past 10 years. I first met Wendy in 2014 when she invited me to write for the Prison Art Coalition’s blog; an opportunity for which I felt very honored. Likewise, it has been an honor to work with Wendy on various exhibitions and projects. I worked on her pARTner Project which she initiated and made into a very successful program connecting artists inside to artists outside. One of the many things I have valued in working with Wendy is her keen and thoughtful observational skills working with such a complex setting as prison. Wendy always works in the best interests of all involved, bringing these skills to navigate the many levels of incarceration to the successful fruition of projects. Underscoring these skills are her strong ethical and compassionate connections to those with whom she works. These skills, magnified by Wendy’s intense commitment to justice, makes working with her a wonderful experience.

Treacy Ziegler, MSW Art Director of Prisoner Express (affiliated with Cornell University) and Visiting Faculty at Lyme Academy of Fine Art
Those of us on the inside who have worked with Wendy…have been able to embody a new value on our work, which is an extension of ourselves. I understand my rights and how to articulate them so much clearer and more bold now. That is a forever gift.

EJ, artist & writer
We've had the pleasure of collaborating with Wendy Jason on a number of projects connecting our students with artists in her network who are currently or have previously been incarcerated, including pen pal letter writing, drawing exchanges, and attending exhibitions she has organized. She is an energetic and reliable partner to work with as we seek to expand opportunities for socially engaged art to take place at all levels of our program. Our students are very excited to participate in these exchanges, which consistently demonstrate the power that drawing and artmaking have to foster human connections and transcend difficult circumstances.

Jason Rafferty, Applied Assistant Professor of Art, University of Tulsa
As an organizer, public speaker, writer, and successful artist who has worked with many others while contributing to the development and success of numerous art programs and exhibitions internationally, I consider Wendy Jason to be one of the leading organization Executives in the field of arts in the age of mass incarceration. Her passion, willingness to be of service to men and women incarcerated, leadership skills, love for the arts, and visible drive... are all tangibles that make her unique in the lane of art and social justice. As someone who has spent over 31 years in prison pursuing art, I will simply say: "I only wish we had more like Wendy Jason".

Kenneth Reams, artist, writer, organizer, speaker
Working with Wendy has been an amazing experience. Her dedication to bringing awareness to a forgotten segment of humanity knows no bounds. Oftentimes navigating the nuances and complexities of prison can be very difficult. Wendy has been a bridge for system impacted people to connect to the greater society. She has served as a voice for one of the most marginalized and inaccessible population. Through working with Wendy I have personally been able to display my art at many venues. There would have been no other way to do this without her dedication and efforts, not within the confines of prison. I am eternally grateful for what she has done and continues to do for us. My worth and talent has been validated through her work. I describe Wendy as a true humanitarian.

Cuong (Mike) Tran, Artist
Wendy’s thoughtful leadership, collaborative spirit and creative vision has consistently supported and informed my own teaching practice in carceral spaces. She has made it her life’s mission to use her artistic voice to collaborate, uplift and create space for artists and creatives to thrive in.

Carien Quiroga, Visual Artist & Educator, Solidarity Arts

Testimonials

Every partnership, project, and collaboration helps move us closer to a world where creativity, justice, and human dignity thrive. We are proud to highlight some of the organizations and individuals who have been part of our journey.

The best reflections of our work come from those we collaborate with. Hear directly from partners and community members about their experiences working with JustArts founder Wendy Jason.

Wendy's ethic of care is on point. She has been enormously helpful to me as a caretaker of art by formerly and currently incarcerated artists. I'd recommend her consulting services to anyone interested in building their art practice or learning how to navigate galleries and art institutions.

Those of us on the inside who have worked with Wendy…have been able to embody a new value on our work, which is an extension of ourselves. I understand my rights and how to articulate them so much clearer and more bold now. That is a forever gift.

Past & Current Partners & Collaborators