Paths of Discovery

"Paths of Discovery: Art Practice and Its Impact in California Prisons" tells the stories of the men and women who discover-through prison fine arts programs-untapped skills, new passions, and the rewards of introspection and self-discipline. In these programs, professional artists provide inmates with quality instruction in visual, literary, and performing arts-and in the process often become mentors and role models for their students. By traveling with their teachers down paths of discovery, many of these inmate-artists learn to transform "doing time" into positive engagements that benefit their lives in prison and beyond. New to the Second Edition: Whereas the first edition focused solely on the state-run Arts-in-Corrections program with photographs and artwork from San Quentin State Prison, this new edition covers four of California's leading prison arts programs and includes images from five men's and women's prisons. Featured here are the William James Association, Marin Shakespeare Company's prison outreach project, The Actors' Gang Prison Project, and Jail Guitar Doors USA-as well as a brief history of the Arts-in-Corrections program. Includes: color photographs, interviews, and more than 100 reproductions of inmate paintings, drawings, prints and poetry.