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Ode to the Sea: Panel Discussion and Closing Reception
January 22, 2018 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Ode to the Sea: Panel Discussion and Closing Reception
Date
Monday, January 22, 2018 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Location
Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Please join CCR and our partners for a discussion and reception to mark the conclusion of the exhibit, Ode to the Sea: Art From Guantánamo Bay, at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The exhibit opened in October and attracted worldwide attention, including from the Trump administration, which banned any more art from leaving Guantánamo.
The speakers will discuss why the administration is so afraid of paintings of beaches and sculptures of boats. The exhibit displays the humanity of the men held without trial at Guantánamo and has shaped public debate about the future of the prison. But the change in government policy has also had a serious effect on artists in the exhibit themselves.
The event is free and open to the public, and will take place at the Shiva Gallery, John Jay College. Enter at 860 11th Avenue. Doors open at 6:00 pm, and the discussion will begin at 6:30 pm. The program will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. Ode to the Sea runs through January 26, 2018.
Speakers
Phyllis Rodriguez is the mother of Gregory Rodriguez who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald/E-Speed and died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. She is a founding member of 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and an advocate for alternatives to war and violence.
Shelby Sullivan-Bennis is a Staff Attorney at Reprieve US, where she represents a number of Guantánamo detainees
Erin Thompson is a Co-curator of Ode to the Sea and professor of art crime at John Jay College
CCR Advocacy Program Manager Aliya Hussain will make short welcome remarks, and Guantánamo lawyers Alka Pradhan and Ramzi Kassem, who represent artists in the exhibit, will join in the moderated discussion and Q&A.