WYOMISSING, Pa. \u2013\u2013\u202fPenn State Berks will host \u2018Walk With Us,\u2019 a community-based art exhibition that relates the firsthand experiences of people and families impacted by incarceration and asks the viewer to consider the future of justice in Berks County. The exhibit opens Monday, Sept. 28, with a ceremony and presentation at 12:15 p.m., followed by a reception in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public. <\/p>\n
Visitors are invited to experience the artwork, engage with listening stations featuring community voices, and read about justice and carceral impacts on communities. Installations will be located on the Perkins Student Center lawn, the Freyberger Gallery inside the Perkins Student Center and the inside walkway between the Perkins Student Center and the Beaver Athletics and Wellness Building. <\/p>\n
\u2018Walk With Us\u2019 features murals and interactive installations designed to encourage reflection, dialogue, and community engagement. The murals were designed and facilitated by artists Mike Miller and Theron Cook, with participation from people detained in the Berks County Jail System, corrections staff, county administrators and community members. <\/p>\n
This exhibit was initiated through a partnership between Building Justice in Berks, The Real Deal 610 and the Vera Institute on Justice. It is also supported by Not One More: A Peace and Justice Project<\/a> and the Penn State Berks criminal justice degree program<\/a>. <\/p>\n The Berks for Justice website explains that the exhibition grew out of a local effort to examine the role of incarceration in Berks County and to create space for residents to share their experiences and perspectives. The initiative expanded into a countywide data study and listening tour that gathered firsthand accounts from more than 120 people impacted by incarceration.<\/p>\n