JustArts Gallery
Tulsa, OK
Elevating the creative voices of people confined to carceral institutions across the US.
MessageCollection: Carla Simmons
“My name is Carla J. Simmons and I am serving my 20th year of a life sentence in the state of Georgia. I come from a long line of self-taught artists and from a young age connected with art as an extension of my voice and a method of survival. Through it I am able to contribute to our culture and share my experience as a person whose life, and family, have been forever altered, and damaged, by the carceral system.”
Check out Carla’s articles and artwork in Scalawag Magazine, Rattling the Bars on the Real News Network, Truthout, Lux magazine, and Prism.
Please note that all artwork is being shared with the full consent of the artists. Please do not make use of any of the artwork you see here without reaching out to us or the artist directly.
JustArts Gallery (Tulsa, OK) is a not-for-profit, community-rooted project fiscally sponsored by The Third Space Foundation. We partner with systems-impacted artists across the country—most of them currently incarcerated—to host exhibitions and public programs that foster connection and challenge carceral narratives. Our space is a hub for collective learning, healing, and organizing at the intersection of the arts and justice. All proceeds from art sales go directly to the artists or their designated loved ones unless they choose otherwise.
JustArts offers strategic support to organizations, educators, and advocates working to build more just and inclusive arts ecosystems. With over 15 years of experience working with artists in prison, we collaborate with partners nationwide to uplift creative expression as a powerful act of resistance, identity, and possibility.
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