Art from the Inside: Why We Need More Art By And About Incarcerated Women (Encore)

On today's show, we look at how art can highlight the struggles of incarcerated women, build solidarity with them across prison walls, and fight against the erasure and censorship inherent to incarceration. 

First, we'll hear about a dance performance called "If I Give You My Sorrows" that's built around the complex ways that incarcerated women relate to their beds. Then, we'll learn about an art exhibition, "The Only Door I Can Open," that's curated and created by incarcerated artists, writers and poets inside Central California Women's Facility.

Featuring

Jo Kreiter, artistic director of Flyaway Productions and creative director of If I Give You My Sorrows
Betty McKay, formerly incarcerated advocate and organizer
Tomiekia Johnson, incarcerated writer and co-curator of The Only Door I Can Open
Chantell-Jeannette Black, incarcerated artist and co-curator of The Only Door I Can Open
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas, executive director of Empowerment Avenue

Credits

Making Contact Team

Episode Host: Lucy Kang
Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang
Executive Director: Jina Chung
Editor: Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong
Engineer: Jeff Emtman 
Digital Media Marketing: Lissa Deonarain

Special thanks to Christine Lashaw from Empowerment Avenue for recording interviews with Tomiekia and Chantell that were part of this show.

Music

The music in this episode was excerpted from compositions for If You Give Me Your Sorrows.

“Skewed”

Carla Kihlstedt – voice, music box, field recordings
Elijah Oberman – voice, synths
Music/sound design – Carla Kihlstedt & Eli Oberman
“Where Betty Can Go Find Betty” 

Pamela Z – voice, processing, MIDI instruments
Vocal samples excerpted from an interview with Betty McKay
Music by Pamela Z
“Closure”

Cole Kamen-Greene – trumpet
Carla Kihlstedt – voice, violin
Devin Ray Hoff – bass
Matthias Bossi – percussion
Music by Carla Kihlstedt (with structural advice from Elijah Oberman)
“Prayer”

Carla Kihlstedt – voice
Music by Carla Kihlstedt
“Salve”

Kalyn Harewood – spoken voice (excerpted from an interview with Tomiekia Johnson)
Carla Kihlstedt – violin, nyckelharpa, marxophone, voice
Elijah Oberman – violin, sound design
Jeremy Flower – synth programming
Jon Evans – bass, guitar
Matthias Bossi – percussion
Music by Carla Kihlstedt

 

The Only Door I Can Open and If I Give You My Sorrows presented by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 2025: www.ybca.org/event/the-only-door-i-can-open and www.ybca.org/event/if-i-give-you-my-sorrows
The Only Door I Can Open virtual exhibition hosted by MoAD: www.moadsf.org/virtual-exhibition
Empowerment Avenue website: www.empowermentave.org
Flyaway Productions: www.flyawayproductions.com
Museum of the African Diaspora: www.moadsf.org
The music featured in If I Give You My Sorrows is available for purchase: http://ifigiveyoumysorrows.bandcamp.com
Petition for Tomiekia Johnson’s request for commutation https://www.change.org/p/gavin-newsom-grant-commutation-for-incarcerated-survivor-tomiekia-johnson

Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.