Open Letters by Mark Menjivar

Open Letters by Mark Menjivar
Presented in partnership with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH)
Pay What You Can, suggested contribution of $10

Open Letters is an ongoing project by artist Mark Menjivar that engages Texas communities in dialogue around capital punishment issues. Participants were invited to respond to letters written by prisoners on death row that speak about their experiences and the trauma they and their families have faced post-conviction. 

This program was presented in conjunction with Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the Justice System, an exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) featuring work by artists from across the nation that addresses the criminal justice system, mass incarceration, and the prison-industrial complex. The exhibition is on view August 25, 2018 - January 6, 2019. To learn more about the exhibition, click here. 
 
About the presenter:
Mark​ ​Menjivar​ ​is​ ​an​ ​artist​ ​and​ ​Assistant​ ​Professor​ ​in​ ​the​ ​School​ ​of​ ​Art​ ​and​ ​Design​ ​at​ ​Texas State​ ​University.​ ​His​ ​work​ ​explores​ ​diverse​ ​subjects​ ​through​ ​photography,​ ​archives,​ ​oral​ ​history and​ ​objects.​ ​Mark​ ​received​ ​a​ ​BA​ ​in​ ​Social​ ​Work​ ​from​ ​Baylor​ ​University​ ​and​ ​an​ ​MFA​ ​in​ ​Social Practice​ ​from​ ​Portland​ ​State​ ​University. Mark​ ​has​ ​engaged​ ​in​ ​projects​ ​at​ ​venues​ ​including​ ​the​ ​Bemis​ ​Center​ ​for​ ​Contemporary​ ​Art,​ ​The Houston​ ​Center​ ​for​ ​Photography,​ ​The​ ​San​ ​Antonio​ ​Museum​ ​of​ ​Art,​ ​The​ ​Puerto​ ​Rican​ ​Museum of​ ​Art​ ​and​ ​Culture,​ ​Blue​ ​Star​ ​Contemporary​ ​Art​ ​Museum​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Krannert​ ​Art​ ​Museum.​ ​His​ ​work has​ ​been​ ​featured​ ​by​ ​National​ ​Geographic,​ ​Artforum,​ ​TED,​ ​NPR,​ ​The​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Times,​ ​The New​ ​Yorker,​ ​Slate,​ ​Good​ ​Magazine,​ ​The​ ​Village​ ​Voice,​ ​Gastronomica​ ​and​ ​Orion​ ​Magazine. 

Photos by Scott Dalton