The Art for Justice Fund (A4J) has announced its final grants, which include support to transform the recently launched Center for Art & Advocacy, a national, artist-led organization to assist and mentor justice-impacted creatives formerly called the Right of Return USA.

Launched in 2017 with $100 million from philanthropist Agnes Gund from the sale of a Roy Lichtenstein painting she owned, A4J received an additional $25 million from artists, collectors, and supporters to advance policy reform, shift public narratives, and promote the leadership of formerly incarcerated people while centering art as a catalyst to transform the criminal legal system. Originally established as a five-year effort, A4J adjusted its goals to sunset after six years.

With additional support from the Mellon Foundation, the gift from the sunsetting A4J will enable the Center for Art & Advocacy to advance its capital campaign and establish a headquarters, which is slated to open in Brooklyn this fall; artist Jesse Krimes will serve as its executive director. The funding will support work across three core programs: the existing Right of Return Fellowship, which serves artists impacted by the justice system; the Academy, which will provide training and professional development to directly impacted writers, filmmakers, and artists; and the Residency, scheduled to open in northeast Pennsylvania in 2024, which will offer short- and long-term stays to Academy and Right of Return alumni. Public components will include exhibitions, performances, talks, and convenings.

Additional recipients of A4J grants include ArtChangeUS, the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, Restore Hope Arkansas, and the Returning Artists’ Guild.

“The launch of the Center for Art & Advocacy marks a pivotal moment in the fight to end mass incarceration,” said Gund. “Right of Return’s founding in 2016 was a groundbreaking step in supporting system-impacted artists and their work to create a future of shared safety for all. The Art for Justice Fund is thrilled to support our partner’s evolution into a physical hub with expanded programming, all dedicated to transforming the criminal legal system through the arts.”

(Photo courtesy of the Center for Art Advocacy/credit Maurice Sartirana)