“Where I’m From” at the Barnes Foundation

A Collective Expression of Identity

From July 5 through August 25, 2025, The Barnes Foundation, in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, presents the profoundly moving exhibition Where I’m From, showcasing the transformative power of art as a vehicle for healing, expression, and reintegration. Displayed in the second-floor classroom of the Collection Gallery, the exhibition features new work by participants in Mural Arts’ Rec Crew—a restorative job-readiness program for justice-impacted young adults—and artists currently incarcerated at SCI Phoenix, Pennsylvania’s maximum-security prison for men.

At its core, Where I’m From offers deeply personal explorations of origin, memory, and belonging. These works are not only technically compelling but also rich in emotional intelligence—rooted in lived experience and conveyed with astonishing authenticity. Through drawings, paintings, prints, and mixed media, artists reflect on their spiritual journeys, contemplate inner and external landscapes, and challenge preconceived notions about identity and incarceration. The exhibition is free with general admission to the Barnes and will be previewed on Monday, June 30 during Wawa Welcome America’s Free Museum Day.

Where I’m From: The Rec Crew and Artistic Reclamation

The Rec Crew is the cornerstone of Where I’m From, and one of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s most dynamic Restorative Justice initiatives. Participants, all young adults with justice-system involvement, engage in a rigorous 24-week program that prepares them for life beyond their records. This spring, they delved into art education through immersive classes at the Barnes taught by Christine Stoughton and Bill Perthes, Director of Adult Education. Their creative practice expanded at Second State Press, where printmaking sessions led by Executive Director Emma Flick enabled participants to explore and manifest personal narratives through visual media.

Each piece produced by a Rec Crew member is a bold assertion of self-worth and a reclaiming of authorship over one’s own story. Whether channeling the pain of displacement, the warmth of home, or the internal reckoning of reinvention, the art invites viewers into dialogues often muted in society. The result is a dynamic exhibition that elevates emerging voices and affirms the power of art as both a process and a product of transformation.

Where I’m From: Creativity Behind the Walls of SCI Phoenix

Equally compelling are the contributions from artists working within SCI Phoenix. Incarcerated men in this maximum-security facility create year-round in a dedicated studio space, contributing both to personal work and public murals around Philadelphia. In preparation for Where I’m From, these artists engaged in a series of in-depth conversations with Barnes educator Bill Perthes about the exhibition’s themes. Despite physical confinement, their work transcends limitation—confronting isolation, celebrating resilience, and illuminating inner worlds shaped by memory, regret, hope, and longing.

These artists’ pieces reflect and reframe the prison experience. The use of symbolism, recurring motifs of nature, and portraits of imagined or remembered loved ones serve as powerful counter-narratives to a dehumanizing system. Through meticulous technique and evocative composition, the SCI Phoenix artists affirm their place in the continuum of contemporary art—and in the cultural life of the city.

The impact of Where I’m From would not be possible without the multi-year collaboration between The Barnes Foundation and Mural Arts Philadelphia. Since 2018, these two institutions have partnered to offer restorative justice programs that blend education, artistry, and healing. At the heart of their shared mission is a belief in the dignity of every person and the role of art in forging pathways toward self-realization and community engagement.

As Perthes states, “The Barnes and Mural Arts have shared goals of promoting social justice and investing in the arts as a pathway to a positive future.” Executive Director of Mural Arts Jane Golden echoes this sentiment, calling the exhibition “a testament to the resilience, creativity, and humanity of individuals navigating the justice system.”