Born and raised in Long Beach, California. Francisco Baldonado is a first-generation Mexican American artist, raised by hard working parents who immigrated from Mexico in the mid 70’s in search for a better future, faced with long arduous work days to make ends meet. Francisco’s artistry is deeply rooted in the narratives of his upbringing. Growing up in a gang impacted neighborhood, Francisco felt the pull of his surroundings from the tender age of nine years old. A reality that shaped his journey forward. 

 Francisco’s art explores his transformation through his identity and community, drawing from his personal experiences. His traditional approach in his oil paintings captures the essence of life in Long Beach with vivid emotion and bold strokes. Despite the gang influences that permeated his environment, which profoundly shaped his perspective and the emotive power of his oil paintings. Francisco’s journey is a testament to resilience and determination.

Bryant has been incarcerated for 24 years and has an opportunity to parole in 2026. Bryant’s research focuses on human behavior and human centered design to solve problems and build community. Bryant will be graduating from San Diego State in 2025.

He is a participant in the Hope Restored film being shown in the gallery screening room. 

Brian is a Justice Scholar at Long Beach City College, working toward a career in the film industry. His short film, The Student is on display as a part of the Hope Restored exhibition. 

The film follows David, a middle-aged man and former inmate, decides to enroll in college, hoping for a fresh start. However, his excitement quickly turns to frustration as he struggles to navigate the campus and the complex enrollment process. Just when he’s ready to walk away, he runs into Willie, a former friend from prison thriving as a student. Willie introduces him to Justice Scholars, a re-entry program led by the compassionate Sarah Rodriguez. With their guidance, David finds the support he needs to take the first steps toward his new beginning, showing the importance of programs that help the formerly incarcerated rebuild their lives.

Alex has been incarcerated 15 years and is a current student at San Diego State University's Vista Program, majoring in interdisciplinary studies. He is a trauma informed aspiring social worker, passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of kids and teenagers who are living in poverty. His coaching and mentoring has improved the lives of his peers through self-help programs at Centinela State Prison. He looks forward to continuing his work through his platform, Hope Restored, on TikTok and YouTube.

Juanita is a respected figure in the beauty and wellness industry. She has travelled the world, drawing inspiration from the diverse cultures she has encountered. Currently, she is exploring the art world through painting, where she reflects on her upbringing in Puerto Rico. Her artwork often portrays the serenity and untouched essence of her culture, celebrating the beauty that remains in its purest form.

Much of Juanita’s inspiration comes from nature and her spiritual beliefs. She uses painting as a therapeutic outlet to process her life experiences, having survived domestic violence and other challenges. Through her art, she has reclaim her power and aims to empower others by promoting education and creativity as tools for healing.

Juanita is grateful to God and her wonderful parents, Andre and Catalina Diaz, for instilling in her a love for learning, the courage to aim high and the determination to pursue her dreams.

Ian Ellis is currently pending a transfer to a reentry program after 12 years of incarceration. Education has equipped Ian with skills and motivation to leverage his life experiences to make an impact in underserved communities. He aspires to integrate physical activity with mindful health practices, facilitating healing and overall well-being.  He plans to pursue a master's degree in social work at San Diego State University, working closely with Project Rebound at SDSU. 

Swan anticipates graduating from San Diego State University with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in May 2025,. By bringing awareness to the institutional discrimination affecting the non-English speaking population within the prison education system, he hopes to contribute to efforts pushing for equal treatment and access to appropriate pedagogical support. Swan is a passionate guitarist and has worked with the Old Globe Reflecting Shakespeare Program. 

Mia is an artist, storyteller, and advocate whose work reflects the raw, untamed beauty of her life’s journey. Born in Long Beach, California, and raised across several states in the US, Mia’s childhood was shaped by both freedom and instability. She learned early on how fragile and chaotic life could be. Yet, through it all, art remained a constant, language she could always return to when words failed.

Her early years were spent moving through foster homes, group homes, and detention centers, searching for something she couldn’t explain. As a young teenager, driven by an insatiable curiosity and a need to experience life beyond the system, she set out on the road alone. She hitchhiked, hopped trains, worked traveling jobs, and found community in unexpected places. Along the way, she met people from all walks of life, collecting their stories, feeling the weight of different landscapes, and expressing it all through her art.

Incarceration became another chapter in her story is one she refused to let define her, but rather, shape her. After her release, she faced the difficult task of reintegration, struggling to balance her free spirit with the expectations of a society that often-demanded conformity. For a time, she turned away from art, believing she had to suppress the parts of herself that felt too wild, too different. But in losing her creative voice, she realized she was losing herself.

Determined to rewrite her narrative, Mia immersed herself in her education, proving that growth, intelligence, and ambition exist beyond societal labels. Now a full-time student, she is not only excelling but also giving back. As a tutor and mentor, she shares knowledge with fellow students, proving that education is not just about personal success but a tool for empowerment and change.

Beyond the classroom, Mia is a passionate advocate for formerly incarcerated individuals and foster youth, using her voice to challenge stigma and create space for people like her to thrive. Her art is an extension of that mission, a reclamation of self, a bridge between past and present, and a testament to the power of expression as a means of healing. Through her work, she hopes to help others feel seen, to remind them that their stories, no matter how unconventional or difficult, are worth telling.

This exhibition is more than a display of her art it is a declaration of resilience, a breaking of stereotypes, and a reminder that we are not defined by where we come from but by the futures we choose to build.

Silas M. Johnson is a 47 year old justice impacted man. Serving a 24 to life prison sentence, Silas is currently a sudent of San Diego State University's Vistas Program and will be obtaining a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in three departments(IS3D). Silas has also become a media personality on the Instagram profile: @collectcallfrom and is the author of A River's Light in a Barren Tunnel...Elegies in Effigy. 

Tyrel Jordan developed his artistic skill by spending thousands of hours drawing and painting. He is currently in his 17th year of incarceration. He is from Lompoc, CA and is expected to parole towards the end of 2025. 

Artist Statement:

These pieces reflect Brown Beauty, a project that celebrates life, culture, skin, land, and the over-interaction within us all. As a light spreader, this is my debut for showing my work. I give thanks to this space, the ones who came before me, the ones who allowed me to immortalize their beauty, the hands who have helped put it all together, and an immense thank you to the other artists who I have the pleasure of sharing space with.

Here’s my process of chasing light. There are pieces of my elders, my dear friends, and my lovely students—a beautiful life we live. I welcome you to experience Brown Beauty.

This is my relationship with light, my relationship with the many beautiful souls I am blessed to have met on the journey—

The goal is to create visual medicine and visual poetry for my people, to see their immense beauty… the light they bring to the universe.

Con luv y respeto,

— SANTO

Ever since I can remember, Art has been my passion. My name is Victor Tapia. I am 39 years old, and I have been incarcerated since 2006 for attempted murder. (I was 20 years of age when I committed my life crime.)

Through an adverse childhood, I grew up in Orange County in an unhealthy environment, which contributed to warped beliefs that led me down a dark path, along with poor choices and many failures.

By the grace of God and family support, I have learned valuable skills that have helped me climb out of that bottomless pit. I have learned to embrace my past, my entire lifespan, because I know and love who I am today. I began to take Art seriously in 2018 while at Lancaster State Prison. Since then, Art has helped me realize how blessed I truly am. I have allowed Art to heal my soul and transform my world into something positive, safe, and full of light. Art saved me from the darkest point in my life, and I’m deeply grateful to God, family, and friends for my life’s new perspectives.

Since I began to paint, my Art has been exhibited at Cb-1 Gallery, Cal State LA fine art gallery, UCLA fine art gallery, and Hauser & Wirth Lit-Lit Book Club fair. And Frieze Fine Art Gallery (Out of Bounds 2020).

Giving back and making amends has been the driving force behind my artistic creativity. Learning to give back has allowed me to discover an unmatched sense of self-worth, and I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for me.

Jose A. Torres is currently incarcerated at Centinela State Prison and is also a student with the Vistas Program at San Diego University. Jose has been incarcerated for 21 years and has found a new identity through higher education and Art and Design. Jose is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies and will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree this spring 2025. 

Tracy is a third-year art major at Long Beach City College(LBCC) and a formerly incarcerated individual. Her journey at LBCC has been transformative. Along the way, she fell in love with art and the opportunity it provides for unique individual expression.

She considers herself to be a jack of all trades. Whether it’s playing sports or practicing martial arts, she embraces new challenges. But nothing compares to the passion she feels for art. Through every piece she creates draws from her own diverse experiences, channeling her resilience, growth and the beauty she sees in the world. Art has become her true voice and it allows Tracy to share her story in a way nothing else can.

Miguel is an interdisciplinary artist and educator raised in Southeast Los Angeles County. Being a first-generation Chicano, he had the opportunity to grow up on both sides of the border, where jaripeos, family backyard parties and Socal subcultures deeply influenced him. After early exploration into graffiti culture and experiencing the justice system’s impact, Zavala found himself working as a designer while also balancing temporary service jobs.

With the influence of his early creative practice in lettering., he studied sign painting at Los Angeles Trade Tech, leading him to work full-time as a designer and paint storefronts in his free time.

After taking a break from work due to a spinal cord injury, Zavala reengaged his creative practice in higher education. This led him to exploring different mediums, embracing painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, folk art, and metalsmithing while centering public art processes, community-centered projects, and identity.