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.