“Very powerful!”

“Awesome and inspiring. Makes you want to act and make changes”

“Very meaningful – poignant, about what we ought not to be doing – killing people.”

“What words do you use? There really aren’t any. Very personal, powerful, thought-provoking and compelling. I’m a bit numb to think what we are doing”.

“Incredibly moving. Unique perspectives that made me think differently”.

“Really nice work. Congratulations.”

“Thank you – incredibly moving, informative & shows why the DP must be abolished.”

“I wish every piece could win an award. What a chilling and powerful statement against state sponsored killing this collection makes. Thanks, TMN.”

“Very powerful collection of images that disturb and lead to further thinking”.

“A very moving exhibit and I am grateful to all those who worked to make it possible.”

One of the artists from TMN’s death penalty art show was recently selected for a studio residency at the Lawndale Art Center. Stephanie Saint Sanchez is a film and video artist and the founder of La Chicana Laundry Pictures. Below is her animation chosen for the death penalty show. Congrats Stephanie!

Lawndale Art Center is pleased to announce the selection of three residents for the inaugural term of the Lawndale Studio Residency.

A jury consisting of Franklin Sirmans, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Menil Collection, John Sparagana, Chicago based artist and Professor of Painting at Rice University and Margo Handwerker, Lawndale Programming Committee member and Curatorial Assistant at the MFAH met at Lawndale on Saturday December 2 and selected the three residents.

From a pool of almost eighty Houston area contemporary artists, the jury selected Dawolu Jabari Anderson, Donna Huanca and Stephanie Saint Sanchez to launch the program.

“We came away feeling really excited about the three artists we chose…” say John Sparagana. “…what the residency can do for each of them at this point in their work and career, and what kind of energy they will bring to Lawndale through their residency”.

Dawolu Jabari Anderson creates large scale drawings that juxtapose archaic aesthetics with contemporary narratives. Anderson’s work has been exhibited extensively including the 2006 Whitney Biennial both individually and as part of the Otabenga Jones collective.

Donna Huanca creates sculpture and installation environments out of fabric swatches. Her work has been exhibited widely in New York, Chicago, Dallas and Buenos Aires. She is a graduate of the University of Houston and in 2006 attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Stephanie Saint Sanchez is a film and video artist and the founder of La Chicana Laundry Pictures. Her work has been screened extensively both locally and nationally and received numerous awards. In 2005, she was the recipient of a CACHH emerging artist grant.

“It is very gratifying to watch this program come to fruition through the hard work and commitment of many individuals on our board and staff” according to William Betts, Interim Executive Director of Lawndale. “This program speaks strongly of Lawndale’s core values and provides a unique and generous opportunity to Houston based artists”.

As part of the Studio Residency program, recipients will be provided studio space on the third floor of Lawndale’s Main Street facility, receive a $500 monthly stipend, a $1000 materials budget, and exhibition opportunities in the Lawndale galleries.

The Lawndale Studio Residency program is made possible by the generous support of the Cullen Foundation and the Brown Foundation.

The Austin American Statesman has a long article in today’s paper on Kerry Cook, who spent 22 years on Texas death row for a crime he did not commit. The article was written now because Kerry’s book “Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn’t Commit” will be in bookstores on Feb 27. You can listen to Kerry talk about his story on an audio recording on the Statesman site.

Kerry also has a new website.

Kerry’s is a story that needs to be heard in Texas, especially now that the Legislature is in session and will soon be considering whether to pass legislation establishing a moratorium on executions.

According to the article, in 1996, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed Cook’s conviction in blunt terms: “Prosecutorial and police misconduct has tainted this entire matter from the outset. Little confidence can be placed in the outcome of the appellant’s first two trials as a result.”

The question the Legislature must deal with is whether there are other innocent people still on Texas death row. We know that Ernest Willis was released from Texas death row in 2004 after spending 17 years there for a crime he did not commit. The Chicago Tribune says that Texas has executed two people, Carlos De Luna and Cameron Todd Willingham, who were innocent. Sam Milsap, the Bexar County DA who convicted Ruben Cantu, now believes that Cantu was innocent of the crime for which he was executed.

How many innocent lives is Texas allowed to say “oops, we did it again” about before the people of Texas demand a stop to an execution system that does not protect innocent people from being sentenced to death and even executed.

There will be a “Day of Innocence” rally and Death Penalty Issues Lobby Day at the Texas capitol on Tuesday, March 13, 2007.

Kerry Cook sent us this message: “Tomorrow morning — February 18th — the Austin American Statesman will publish, in its lifestyle section, a feature piece that is both an interview and review of my new book/memoir, CHASING JUSTICE (in book stores on the 27th of this month). To read that you will go to www.statesman.com For audio and pictures, go to www.statesman.com/multimedia

While I have — and will continue to do so — done a considerable amount of state, national and international media on the subject of human rights and the use of the American death penalty — I think this feature article in my home state of Texas will be one of the most important. Especially with the bicameral Legislature in full session”.