Art Showcase

All of the drawings above are created by: Marcus T. Clayton DOC#339614

All of the drawings above are created by: James Edward Ruzicka

DOC#624728

All of the Drawings and Poetry above are created by: MAXIMILIAN WILD DOC#700473

All of the Artwork above is created by: SOLOMON DAVID WHITT DOC#427644

The Poem above is created by: DEVIN KONECNY WHITT DOC#304589

The Artwork above is created by: JEFFREY R MCKEE WHITT 

DOC#882819

"Groot, my smuggled plant and I create monthly themed art as a form of therapy for myself and the other residents here at the penitentiary."

The Artwork above is created by: JOHN HOWARD LEWIS DOC#631517

Keeping one's mind and hands busy in craft art creativity. making Christmas trees with hundreds of beads and out of magazines of different sizes. sharing each year with others in lifting spirits. 

The Poem above is created by: Miguel Avalos DOC#343097

This is Alberto Sarmiento DOC#406372 

Alberto is a man of many talents, such as being known for taking portrait art as well as being a production artist.

He has partnered up with Laura Sophie Gehrke who was on 'Too Hot Too Handel: in Germany' Alberto has helped capture some of Laura and Joshes special moments. 

Josh and Lauras socials can be found below

The Poem above is created by: Tayone Akers DOC#351191

The Artwork above is created by: LUIS ALBERTO ANGUIANO DOC#344284

He found a passion for making bead work art!

The Song above is written by: Charles Henry Reedy DOC#337987

The Art above is painted by: RAFAEL RAMOS-GUZMAN DOC#351702

The Art above is by: ELI ALDINGER DOC#416722

Quote: "Creativity can help release the unexplainable feelings inside, like a secret club for those who know. Dare you step in?"

!! ALL DRAWINGS HAVE BEEN SOLD BY THIS ARTIST !!

The beaded art above is by: Danielee Zurcher DOC #428622

The Poem above is by: Mathew Nicholas McGowan DOC #361720

The Poem above is by: BRODERICK RAY YOUNG DOC #358230

QUOTE; "LOVE CHANGES EVERYHTING"

The Poem above is by: JEREMIAH SERVIS DOC #432990

QUOTE; "WORDS ARE POWER, USE THEM GENTLY"

The Poem above is by: Andre A. Conway DOC#307500

QUOTE; "Someday everything will make perfect sense, so for now laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason "

The Poetry above is by:  Scott A. Madoulet DOC#372656

QUOTE; "The most horrible thing in the world is to become aware only after you've caused harm." 

The Poetry above is by: Daniel Arledge DOC#391897

QUOTE; "Sometimes God uses a broken tool" 

The Beaded Artwork above is by: Talon Cutler-Flinn DOC#405061

QUOTE; "It's not the decision that you made but what you do from that point forward is what matters." 

The Poetry and Songs above are by: Lavonte Dangerfield DOC#404058

The Poetry and Drawing above are by: Ryan Adams DOC#415205

Quote "Whether you are a person who is guilty or innocent, those of us in this prison are still people and deserve some humanity."

The Drawings above are by: Marco Perez Garnica DOC#715205

Quote "Would like to be able to be heard and gain a platform to show that prisoners can change and give back as they can."

The Drawings above are by: Jose Garcia Morales DOC#357557

The Picture above was taken by: Patrick Drum DOC#784289

Quote: "I authored Ghosts Behind the Walls with the objective of reviving the memorials of the individuals interred and overlooked in the old Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) cemetery located in Walla Walla. The term "forgotten" is used in its truest sense; the sole inscriptions on their headstones consist of prisoner identification numbers. There are no names, dates of birth or death, nor any commemorative inscriptions. I assert that they were "Beloved Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Brothers, and/or Sons." The earliest individual, whose remains were quietly laid to rest in this cemetery, passed away on June 25, 1887, and was recorded as Atah Whistam in some documents, while others refer to him as Whis Tum A Lah. His assigned identifier was prisoner #71. The cemetery was officially designated as decommissioned for additional burials in 1950, with the last individual interred there being Victor Maynaud (#20377), who died on September 10 of that year.

My endeavor aims to bring to life the myriad stories associated with these individuals. Serving life without the possibility of parole and lacking progeny, I believe that an inherent paternal instinct compelled me to resurrect the memories of both those resting in the cemetery and countless others who contributed to the legacy of the penitentiary. The men interred in this graveyard exhibited a spectrum of religious and spiritual beliefs, while others identified as atheists. They succumbed to various circumstances, including old age, violence, disease, and suicide. They were poets and humorists, virtuous and malevolent, gentlemen and madmen. The total interred numbers 348, comprising a rich tapestry of generations that extend back to infants born decades before the WSP was conceived. This lineage encompasses individuals who fought in the American Civil War, engaged in horseback train robberies, witnessed the documentation of peace treaties with Native Americans, and experienced the era of bootlegging from the shanty neighborhoods of Seattle, all the while enduring two world wars.

If these walls could indeed communicate, they would eloquently narrate the histories of these cemetery residents in a manner far more articulate and refined than I am capable of expressing. I ask for your understanding regarding the nuances that may be lost in this translation.

The Drawings above are by: Sean Martin DOC#374554