Special Feature: Brooklyn
Presented by Groundswell — the same organization behind the Queensbridge mural — this exhibition brought murals painted by incarcerated youth on Rikers Island between 2008 and 2019 outside the jail's walls for the first time, alongside mobile murals by artists impacted by incarceration. It extends Groundswell's ongoing Rikers mural residency, running since at least 2016.
Peace in Destruction: Art from Rikers Island
Weeksville Heritage Center, Crown Heights · June 3–27, 2026
Presented by Groundswell, the same organization behind the Queensbridge mural. This exhibition brought murals painted by incarcerated youth on Rikers Island between 2008 and 2019 outside the jail's walls for the first time, alongside mobile murals created by artists impacted by incarceration. Groundswell has run an Rikers mural program since 2016.
Curatorial Team: Groundswell Staff: Phoebe DeVincenzi, Mahnoor Sheikh, Brandon Bendter, Yvonne Brathwaite
Artists: Jasmine Alford, Vincent Ballentine, Christopher Cardinale, Julia Cocuzza, Samatha Cortez, Demetrius Felder, Avimael Linares
Advisors: Amy Sandman, Erik Schurink
These murals were displayed from June 3 through June 27, 2026, at Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn.
THE RIGHT AT STAKE
The right to be seen, not just judged. These murals were locked behind Rikers' walls for years before anyone outside was allowed to look.
WHY HERE?
Weeksville Heritage Center is a historic site dedicated to preserving Weeksville, one of the first free Black communities in pre-Civil War America. This is a place that was literally built around Black self-determination and freedom. Hosting art made by currently and formerly incarcerated young people draws a connection between the historical fight for freedom and the modern reality of mass incarceration's disproportionate impact on Black communities today.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What does it mean for art made behind bars to finally be seen by the outside world and who gets to decide when that happens?
THEN & NOW
The murals in this exhibition were created between 2008 and 2019 by young people incarcerated at Rikers Island, through Groundswell's long-running residency program. This exhibition marked the first time most of these murals had ever been seen outside the jail's walls, alongside additional mobile murals created by artists directly impacted by incarceration.
TAKE ACTION
Students can learn more about Groundswell's ongoing Rikers Island mural residency and get involved in their youth arts programs.
Organizer: Groundswell · Venue: Weeksville Heritage Center