An unusual art exhibit at a little-known historic spot in DC highlights inmate’s talents

Paintings of Donald Trump and Barack Obama stand out among the presidential portraits painted by prison inmates that are on display at a historic D.C. hideaway — President Lincoln’s cottage in the Petworth neighborhood.

The historic cottage provided a summer retreat for the Lincoln family, and Lincoln lived about a quarter of his presidency at the cottage on Rock Creek Church Road in Northwest Washington.

“The cottage is really the perfect place for this exhibition. It’s where Lincoln worked on his amazing Emancipation Proclamation,” said Janie Ritter, programs assistant with the Justice Arts Coalition, which facilitated the exhibit by helping collect art and literary work from inmates in state and federal prisons across the nation.

“There are 23 pieces of visual artwork and 23 pieces of writing — together 46 — to symbolize the 46 U.S. presidents. It’s a wide range of mediums ranging from ink and charcoal to acrylic and watercolor paint on a wide variety of surfaces, canvas board (and) mixed media,” Ritter said.

The exhibit includes both flattering and critical portraits of former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama.

“There are a lot of both President Donald Trump and President Obama … in this exhibit. … I think there’s a lot of diversity in the artists views on presidents. … I think the biggest take-away is that each artist is still an individual person, and they still have their own ideas and thoughts,” said Ritter.

The exhibit includes a colorful portrait of Mr. Trump, saluting him for reducing the federal prison population and a large, multi-panel, collaborative portrait of Mr. Obama by three federal inmates on death row which expresses hope and disappointment with his administration. One of the inmates who created the portrait was executed in 2020.

There are also admiring takes on Mr. Obama and bitter depictions of Mr. Trump.

But why display art by those who are serving time in prison, at a time when community concern is high over a rising crime rate and some are demanding greater accountability from the criminal justice system?

“We believe that even the people who are inside prison are still human and still deserve connection. And art is one of the best ways to form those connections. I personally believe that anyone can connect and engage with a piece of artwork, and through the artwork, discover other people’s humanity,” Ritter said.

The exhibit runs till Feb. 19.

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