We have a new address but our director Dennis Sobin's legal status remains unchanged.

Please note that the new location of the Prisons Foundation is 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC 20006. It is the same location as our Prison Art Gallery. The move will permit a more streamlined and efficient operation. Meanwhile, the popular outdoor art kiosk and information center of the Prison Art Gallery at G and 7th Streets in Washington, DC will be open seven days a week, 10 am to 10 pm.

News About Our Director

Despite our insistance on a speedy trial, Dennis Sobin's trial following his arrest for attending public hearings at City Hall (see complete details in our original email below) has been put off until August 5, 2008. This poses a hardship since there are hearings and meetings at City Hall that Dennis is scheduled to attend, including one on a new bill to help ex-prisoners.

In the meantime, here are the names and contact information of city hall officials who can transfer the person who falsely instigated the arrest, Dennis's estranged son Darrin Sobin. With such a transfer, Dennis will be able to go to city hall to visit these officials and attend hearings and meetings without fear of further arrest. If you haven't contacted them already, please do so today. They are feeling beleagured due to the many calls and emails they have received, and YOURS could be the turning point.

Adrian Fenty, Mayor
202-724-8876 customerservice.eom@dc.gov (Mayor)
202-724-5556 Carla.brailey@dc.gov (Mayor's advisor)

Vincent Gray, City Council Chairperson
202-724-8032 DSlonneger@dccouncil.us (chief of staff)

Jack Evans, City Councilmember
(new phone #) 202-724-8058 jackevans@dccouncil.us

Phil Mendelson, Chair of Judciary Committee
202-724-8064 pmendelson@dccouncil.us

*************************************************************

Below is the original email that the Prisons Foundation sent with details of the arrest of our director Dennis Sobin at a public hearing at city hall in Washington, DC

Dennis Sobin, Director of the Prisons Foundation, went to City Hall to testify at a budget hearing on the priorities of the Attorney General's Office. This is routine for our director as these hearings represent important opportunities to advocate for alternatives to incarceration and the need for prosecutors to focus on serious crimes rather than non-violent offenses.

One of those prosecutors happens to be Dennis Sobin's son, Darrin Sobin. He and his father have not seen eye to eye for some time. Last year the younger Sobin, Darrin, flexed his muscle as a government attorney by getting a stay away order to keep his father a set number of feet from him. Now he has gone the next step by having his father arrested for stepping foot in City Hall because Darrin has moved into an office in that building.

When Dennis arrived for the hearing, his son knew of his presence because Dennis was on the witness list to testify. Dennis never got to testify because his son had him whisked out of the building in handcuffs and put in jail before a judge could release Dennis. By then the hearing was over.

The building security officers who arrested Dennis have acknowledged that they were pressured to take this action by Darrin. They even went so far to try to appease Darrin, short of arresting his father, by offering to accompany Dennis to the City Council Chambers where the hearing was taking place and stay with him throughout his testimony. But Darrin rejected this.

Darrin has let it be known that if his father returns to city hall for any reason, the same fate awaits him.

It is therefore URGENT that the following officials at city hall be called TODAY to let our outrage be known. Says Dennis, "I don't want my son fired. That would be too extreme and a particular hardship for his children, my grandsons Alexander and Tristan."

We are requesting that Darrin Sobin be relocated to the Attorney General's headqurters a few blocks away. That way our director Dennis can conduct Prisons Foundation business at city hall.

Here are the names and phone numbers of officials at city hall who can make this happen. Please call them TODAY to get their assurance that this will indeed occur without delay. Even if you are not a resident of Washington you can demand action as a visitor who is shocked that such a thing could happen in the nation's capital.

Adrian Fenty, Mayor, 202-724-8876
(This is Adrian's private number so please be brief when talking to him and please do not retain this number for any other purpose. He has been a supporter of the Prisons Foundation ever since his childhood friend Donald Thomas ended up in prison and needed our help.)

Vincent Gray, City Council Chairperson, 202-724-8032
(Next to the mayor, Vincent is the most powerful person in city hall and has a reputation as a no-nonsense official. Dennis worked for his campaign and helped get him elected in 2006.)

Jack Evans, City Councilmember, 202-724-8058
(As chair pro temp, Jack is number three in power at city hall. He also happens to be the councilmember representing Dennis in Ward 2. Still, Dennis cannot visit him at city hall as long as Darrin Sobin is there.)

Phil Mendelson, Chair of Judciary Committee, 202-724-8064
(Phil is an at-large councilmember who chaired the hearing at which Dennis was set to testify and is reportedly upset at what happened there. He can bring about Darrin Sobin's transfer in the interest of justice and democracy.)

On a personal note, Dennis is in good spirits and continues to meet his responsibilities daily as our director....

Thank you for calling the above city hall officials and demanding that action be taken TODAY.

Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email staff@PrisonsFoundation.org if you need further information. Thank you for your help and support in this crisis.

Thanks to a grant we received from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, you can attend a free workshop to become a mentor to imprisoned artists.

The Woodhull Freedom Foundation and Prisons Foundation are launching a new annual fundraiser called Eroticon: Erotic Art from Behind Bars.

Thanks to the overwhelming attendance and positive response to last year's "From Prison to the Stage" production at the Kennedy Center, our next edition of "From Prison to the Stage" (scheduled for Labor Day weekend) will be bigger and better, including expanded seating and a larger stage (tentatively set for Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage). This year's production will feature excerpts from plays written by prisoners and ex-prisoners. There's still time to let us know of a work that you believe is worthy of being included. Please email Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org or call 202-393-1511. Thank you.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

Sun Trust bank will give its money (not yours) to your favorite nonprofit organization, whether the Prisons Foundation or any other 501(c)(3) for the asking.

We recently received a donation from one of our long-time supporters, Bryan Jay Parker, Chairman of International Healthcare Access Group in Washington, DC. Though the contribution was Bryan's doing, it didn't come from him directly but rather from Sun Trust. It's part of Sun Trust's "My Cause" promotion, and it's worth checking out for ours or any other nonprofit. Here are the details.

The My Cause promotion gives individuals a unique opportunity to reinvest in their nonprofits of choice. If you haven't had a chance to take advantage of the My Cause program, you have time. Now through June 30, 2008, you can choose to have SunTrust give $100 to the nonprofit organization of your choice, or receive a $50 gift card when you open a new SunTrust Personal or Business Checking account during the promotion period, accept a new SunTrust Visa® Check Card, make any purchase with the new card, and submit a completed online redemption form by August 15, 2008.

If you currently bank with SunTrust and have a SunTrust Visa Signature® or SunTrust Platinum Visa with SunTrust Rewards Credit Card, or SunTrust Visa Check Card enrolled in the SunTrust Rewards program, you can donate your SunPoints (SunTrust's reward points system) to your nonprofit of choice! Donations can be made in $25, $50, or $100 denominations. The best part of this element is SunTrust has decided to make SunPoints for Charity a permanent component of its SunTrust Rewards program - so you can continue to donate your SunPoints even after the My Cause promotion has ended.

If you plan to participate in the My Cause promotion and open a new checking account by June 30, we encourage you to donate your $100 to the Prisons Foundation. And once you receive your applicable card, or if you already have one, turn your SunTrust Rewards into donations as well. We hope that you will spread the word about the My Cause promotion and the SunPoints for Charity program to your friends, family, and personal and business contacts. The more awareness we can generate among our supporters, the greater the opportunity for us to increase our fundraising easily and effortlessly.

For more information about My Cause and how to get involved, please visit www.suntrust.com/mycause. Or you can contact our own supporter who took advantage of this program, Bryan Jay Parker, Chairman, International Healthcare Access Group, LLC, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20004 202-434-8900.

We are pleased to announce that our director, Dennis Sobin, has been named to the Board of new National Museum of Crime and Punishment.

Long in the planning, and generous in the funding, the new National Museum of Crime and Punishment opens in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2008, with our own director as one of its distinguished board members. To read the news release issued by the 22-million dollar museum about Dennis and the other board members, please visit http://crimemuseum.org/documents/BoardMembersRelease.pdf.

Located on 7th Street NW (a half block from the popular Verizon Center and one block from the famous International Spy Museum), the innovative new museum is destined to become the "must" place to visit in the Nation's capital. We are proud that many of the most beautiful and unusual pieces of prison art from our Prison Art Gallery are featured at the museum. In addition, the museum's creative gift shop carries many of our prison art prints.

You'll want to be among the first to visit this extraordinary museum. With exhibits such as a recreation of Al Capone's plush jail cell and John Dillinger's actual getaway car, and with equipment that will allow you to get your own authentic mug shots and test your skills at outsmarting a lie detector test, your visit will be both interesting and educational. For more information, please visit CrimeMuseum.org.

Yes, the rumors you have heard are true! Our beautiful prison art has a new 22 million dollar home. Announcing the opening of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment on May 23 featuring many of our most striking and gorgeous pieces.

Long in the planning, and generous in the funding, a new museum opens in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2008. Located on 7th Street NW (a half block from the popular Verizon Center and one block form the famous International Spy Museum), the National Museum of Crime and Punishment is destined to become the "must" place to visit in the Nation's capital. We are proud that many of the most beautiful and unusual pieces of prison art from our Prison Art Gallery are featured at the museum. In addition, the museum's large and innovative gift shop carries many of our prison art prints.

You'll want to be among the first to visit this extraordinary museum. With exhibits such as a recreation of Al Capone's plush jail cell and John Dillinger's actual getaway car, and with equipment that will allow you to get your own authentic mug shots and test your skills at outsmarting a lie detector test, your visit will be both interesting and educational. For more information, please visit CrimeMuseum.org.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

Free workshop by ex-prisoner artists and officials from Washington area jails and prisons on May 17 to train you to become a mentor to prison artists. Call 202-393-1511 to reserve your spot.

Thanks to a grant we received from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, you can attend a free workshop to become a mentor to imprisoned artists. Work either as a volunteer or paid staff member in a jail or prison.

Attend this free workshop on Saturday, May 17, 10 am to 4 pm. You'll learn what it takes to work in a jail or prison to foster artistic development among inmates. You'll receive this valuable training from experienced correctional officials (from both public and private jails) while also benefiting from the insights and knowledge of ex-prisoner artists who will also serve as workshop leaders. These knowledgeable people will share their experiences with you in a relaxed and fun setting at the Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC. Everything you need for a productive and nourishing day (including an authentic jail meal) will be provided free.

This is a rare opportunity to make contacts and obtain valuable information. Plus, we have received word that the workshop will be covered by major media. You can be part of it all.

Whether you're looking for a one afternoon per month volunteer opportunity or a full-time paid career position, you will find this workshop very worthwhile. Meet the people who make hiring decisions while finding out what it takes to be effective in the challenging setting of a jail or prison.

Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email staff@PrisonsFoundation.org for more information. We are also setting up a schedule of additional workshops to accommodate everyone who may be interested. Thank you.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

1. Lamont Carey--You know him from HBO where you've seen and applauded him for his riveting work on The Wire and DEF Jam. See Lamont in person on Tuesday, April 15, 7:30PM at My Place Sports Bar and Grill, 12150 Central Avenue, Mitchellville,, MD 20721. You'll get a whole new perspective on the devastating effects of spending years in prison by this incredible spoken word artist and actor extraordinaire. For further information, please call 301-249-5477.

2. Dennis Sobin--He learned to play classical and jazz guitar in prison and now performs in concert at colleges, universities and the Kennedy Center, songs ranging from Scot Joplin rags to Chopin waltzes to Cole Porter ballads. Come meet and hear Dennis on Saturday, April 19, at 2pm at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. For further information, please call 202-393-1511.

3. Jahi Daoud L. Foster-Bey--A visual artist of extraordinary talent and ability, he creates art that is both beautiful and meaningful, depicting themes that relate to social justice and the hardships he has personally experienced. You can meet Jahi and view his work on Sunday, April 20, at 3pm at the Prisons Foundation mobile art display and information center at the corner of 7th and G Sts, Washington, DC (across from the National Portrait Gallery). For further information, please call 202-393-1511.

Attend a free workshop to become a mentor to imprisoned artists. Learn what it takes to work in a jail or prison to foster artistic development among inmates. You'll receive information and insights from experienced correctional officials as well as accomplished ex-prisoner artists.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

If you have been to our Prison Art Gallery in the nation's capital, or at one of our events across America, you know that we sell a lot of prison art prints to people who are attracted to fine art with an interesting story, and at a very reasonable price. Thanks to the generosity of our printer and matting supplier, we can now make these gorgeous prints available to you for your fundraising needs at a very low price. Best of all, you risk nothing since whatever you get from us is 100% returnable.

Here are the details.

Our Prison Art print series now consists of 51 beautiful and beautifully matted numbered art prints created by imprisoned male and female artists in every region of the nation. (Their location and bio are on the back of each piece.) These art pieces have been hand-matted by our in-house framing staff for a terrific appearance and outstanding durability (including being placed in resealable poly enclosures that make them look like they're encased in thin glass). The prints are 11 by 17", with a final matted size of 16 by 20". You can see all of them on page three of our Art for Justice March 2008 catalog at http://prisonsfoundation.org/marafj.pdf.

Now for the best part of all. Thanks to the generosity of our printer and matting supply company, we can offer these matted prints to you wholesale for only $7 each! At our gallery and our events we sell them for $15 to $20 each, and can't keep enough in stock. People know they're getting a real bargain since numbered and matted prints of this quality usually sell for $50 or more.

We invite you to order these numbered matted prints today for your fundraising needs? Use them at special events or offer them regularly as part of your ongoing fundraising. Remember, your cost is only $7 each, and you can return any unsold pieces to us for a full refund. In addition to the money you will earn, you will have beautiful and interesting art to attract new supporters, and bring back old ones.

We are making this offer to both nonprofit organizations and businesses because we want to raise public consciousness about the talent and humanity of men and women behind bars. Why not be part of this innovative arts program while enjoying a significant new stream of income?

For further information, please call 202-393-1511 or email Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

View the March Edition of Art for Justice, the Prison Art Magazine of the Prison Art Gallery at http://prisonsfoundation.org/marafj.pdf

The new edition of Art for Justice features striking samples of Pano art from our extensive collection of this unique art form. Pano art is made by prisoners using handkerchiefs and bedsheets and is a prison tradition. Own a unique Pano today at a very special price.

Also featured in the March issue of Art for Justice is extraordinary prison artist Anthony Curtis Dye. Anthony is incarcerated at Dooly State Prison in Georgia where, due to lack of art supplies, he is forced to become extremely creative in the fine art he produces. For example, he draws and paints on paper bags and cardboard scraps with paints created from materials such as wax, instant coffee, white out, mustard, creamer and spinach. "Wish I had a brush," he says. No matter, the results are unique and of museum quality. View and purchase one of his works now at a fraction of their worth.

You will also find in the March issue of Art for Justice a selection of specially priced and beautifully matted prison art prints. There are 51 to choose from, ranging from landscapes to portraits to prison themes. At only $15 each (the custom matting alone is worth that), they are a steal.

Purchase anything from the March issue of Art for Justice and they will be shipped to you anywhere. Or get them at our Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC. Open everyday, M-F 9-5, Sat & Sun 1-5.

For further information, please email staff@PrisonsFoundation.org or call 202-393-1511.

[Courtesy Prison Art Gallery]

You can read the latest issue of Art for Justice now! View and purchase new art arrivals created by imprisoned artists from across America, shipped anywhere in the world. You can also purchase any of our beautiful extra large 48 PRISON ART PRINTS, now on SALE for ONLY $10 each

Check out the new edition of Art for Justice (Feb. 2008), the official prison art catalog of the Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) at http://prisonsfoundation.org/febafj.pdf. Also in this issue you can find out how you can become an official art mentor to struggling prison artists by enrolling in our FREE workshop taught by prison officials and ex-prisoner artists. Visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/febafj.pdf for more details. If you have any questions, please call 202-393-1511.

When in Washington, DC, please visit the Prison Art Gallery. Located downtown at 1600 K Street (three blocks from the White House), the Prison Art Gallery is served by two Metro stations (Farragut North on the Red Line, and Farragut West on the Orange and Blue Lines). Note that the entrance is on 16th Street, at the corner of K Street. Open Mon to Fri, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM (also open evenings by appointment - groups welcome - admission is always free) To shop online, please visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/catalog.html or click the image to the left. Thank you.

[Courtesy of Prision Art Galley]

Here's What You Get FREE when you visit our website www.PrisonsFoundation.org now! Complete CDs of your favorite music performed by ex-prisoner musicians, and access to daily News You Can Use updates and complete archives. All absolutely FREE!

We have some very special treats in store for you when you visit our newly expanded website www.PrisonsFoundation.org. No sign-up, password, or anything else required. Just come and get!

You can download complete music CDs performed by the Prison Art Gallery Guitar Ensemble. Choose one or all of the following ten CDs, each over an hour, and now absolutely FREE: Mostly Motown, Beatles Forever, Latin Love, Duke Ellington Songbook, Rogers and Hammerstein Songbook, Carole King Songbook, Gershwin Songbook, Classic Jewish Songs, Hoagy Carmichael Songbook, and Irving Berlin Songbook.

Also, you can get Free daily installments of News You Can Use featuring the latest national, global and local prison developments from authoritative sources. Our archives go back years, so whatever prison-related subject you're looking for, you'll find it here. FREE.

Don't Miss Our Upcoming FREE Reception Featuring Judge Arthur Bennett

You are cordially invited to attend a free reception at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K St NW, Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) featuring a talk by Judge Arthur Burnett. There will be a question and answer period following Judge Burnett's presentation. Refreshments will be served.

If you ever wanted to know more about the inner workings of the judicial system that sends so many people to prison, this is a rare opportunity to find out. Senior Judge Arthur L. Burnett, Sr., now on leave from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, currently serves as the Executive Director of the National African American Drug Policy Coalition. In that capacity he seeks alternatives to incarceration, including the use of drug courts and treatment instead of prisons. His influential Coalition consists of twenty-three professional organizations of lawyers, doctors, dentists, nurses, social workers, sociologists, psychologists and other behavioral scientists.

Judge Burnett graduated from Howard University summa cum laude and received his law degree from New York University in 1958. He commenced his law career that year in the Attorney General's Honors Program at the United States Department of Justice in the Criminal Division. In 1965 he became an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C. where he prosecuted homicides, among other cases. In 1968 he became the first General Counsel of the Metropolitan Police Department in the District of Columbia. After serving in other distinguished positions, he was appointed by the President of the United States to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in 1987.

Please join us for this special Free event on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC. For further information, please call 202-393-1511 or email staff@PrisonsFoundation.org.

We are pleased to announce that the October edition of the Prison Art Gallery art catalog, Art for Justice, is now online at http://prisonsfoundation.org/octafj.pdf You can also purchase a hard copy of it on Monday, October 1, when it is published (as usual) as a full-color special section of Street Sense, the nationally recognized progressive periodical published in Washington, DC for socially conscious people. Get your copy of Street Sense from the more than 50 Street Sense vendors in Washington wearing the bright-colored Street Sense vests. To view/download the October edition of Art for Justice online, please visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/octafj.pdf.

All of the art featured in Art for Justice can be purchased at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW in downtown Washington, DC (open every day until 5:30pm) or by email at staff@PrisonsFoundation.org or phone at 202-393-1511.

Thank you for your interest in these superb, reasonably-priced works produced by imprisoned artists from across America. For more information, please call 202-393-1511.

Don't miss the next free Justice Sunday reception at the Prison Art Gallery. It's a talk and showing of art by ex-prisoner artist Wellington Waters.

Wellington spent decades in prison, but he didn't leave empty handed. He came out with important artistic and design skills that allowed him to become employed at Kinkos, where he worked his way up to manager. He also started his own graphic design company, Waters Edge Grafixx, which now has several prestigious clients. Wellington designed the terrific flyers for the recent highly successful "From Prison to the Stage" show at the Kennedy Center. Not only did Wellington leave prison five years ago with important skills, but he took a supportive staffer with him. They were married after his release and remain in that happy state today.

Anyone who has been to prison knows the terrific work of the Human Kindness Foundation headed by Bo Lozoff. Besides being a dynamic speaker and humanitarian, Bo is a fine musician with several CDs to his credit. By special arrangement with the Prison Art Gallery and First Trinity Lutheran Church, Bo will be doing a free two-hour concert.

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2007
Contact: Tony Newman at 646-335-5385

Artist, Activist Tony Papa to Highlight Cruel Drug War with Art Installation at Criminal Justice Conference at John Jay College in NYC on August 9-10

Show Visually Depicts Major Tragedies of Drug War: “Two Years for One Joint”; “HIV Due to Dirty Syringes”; “Racial Disparity of Drug War”

Papa Discovered Art in Prison and Painted His Way to Freedom after 12 Years Behind Bars Under Draconian Drug Laws

Noted artist, activist and author Anthony Papa will highlight the casualties of the war on drugs in an art installation during a conference titled “On the Edge: Transgression and the Dangerous Other on August 9 and 10 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice located at 899 10th Ave. in New York City. The conference will involve presentations, art and photographic exhibits, music, spoken word performances and film screenings centered around the concept of a new criminology for the 21st century.

“The Drug War” is an art installation by artist/activist Anthony Papa. The installation is a multi-media presentation that visually portrays some of the most compelling drug war issues in the news. The visual narratives in the installation are powerful reminders of the raging war on drugs that ravages many of our communities. “The use of art as a political weapon is not new,” says Papa who discovered his political awareness through his art and has used his art as a vehicle to fight the drug war. “Through history, the role of the artist as a social commentator has been invaluable.”

“Like Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ and Goya’s ‘Third of May,’ which both powerfully portrayed the atrocities of war, my installation follows their lead in revealing the impact of America’s drug war.

Papa spent 12 years in prison for a first time non-violent drug offense. While imprisoned, he discovered his artistic talent. In 1995, after a showing of his art at the Whitney Museum, his case attracted national attention. Two years later, New York Governor George Pataki granted Papa executive clemency. Papa currently works for the Drug Policy Alliance.

The installation highlights issues that affect all Americans, whether they use drugs or not. It is steeped in a continuous motif of an upside down American flag, which signifies the universal concept of the state of distress in war.

“Justice in Black and White” shows the racial imbalance of the effects of the New York’s Rockefeller Drug Laws. Ninety-four percent of those incarcerated under the laws are black and Latino. Ten crying babies dress in prison garb dangle in front of their incarcerated mothers and ask “where are our mothers?”

“Two Years in Jail for One Joint” shows the madness of the drug war. Mitchell Lawrence, an 18-year-old was sentenced to two years in jail for one joint by an over zealous prosecutor in Massachusetts. A single golden joint sits in a silver jewelry box surrounded by dozens of candles

“Give Them All Dirty Needles and Let Them Die” - taken from the cruel quote of TV’s “Judge Judy” - boldly illustrates how New Jersey is the only U.S. state that lacks a needle exchange program. Dozens of bloodied syringes penetrate a coffin draped with the New Jersey flag.

In “Cops or Docs” a marijuana plant asks the question who should decide what medicine we should put in our bodies.

“Got a Cold? Prove it and Sign the Log” portrays the hoops Americans must now jump through to buy cold medicine due to the federal government’s desire to monitor our everyday actions in the name of the curbing the methamphetamine “epidemic.” Papa hopes the installation raises awareness for those in mainstream society who rarely think about the drug war.

“I use my art as a means of visually translating the deep emotional responses of the human condition,” Papa said. “My life choices forced me to discover my hidden artistic talent.”

For more conference info: www.jjay.cuny.edu/ontheedge/

You are cordially invited to attend a free reception celebrating the opening of a special prison art exhibit at the International Lutheran Center. Ex-prisoner Dennis Sobin, a classical and jazz guitarist with ten CDs to his credit, will provide live music.

The masterful virtual tour of the Prison Art Gallery that Verizon put together, thanks to director Colby Hartburg, is something that the 2.3 million men and women can be proud of. Folks can look forward to seeing it broadcast on the Verizon-sponsored TV news magazine show "Push Pause." See it now on YouTube by clicking http://youtube.com/watch?v=oK-EVL_mE_I

Located three blocks from the White House, the Prison Art Gallery is served by two Metro stations (Farragut North on the Red Line, and McPherson on the Orange and Blue Lines). Note that the entrance is on 16th Street, at the corner of K Street. Open Mon to Fri, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 PM (also open evenings by appointment - groups welcome - admission is always free).