Art

Future IDs at Alcatraz was a yearlong exhibition on Alcatraz Island featuring ID-inspired artworks created by and with individuals with conviction histories as they conceive and develop a vision for a future self. Led by artist Gregory Sale, this project was presented by in partnership with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy as a part of the Art in the Parks program.

Using the imagery of flight to evoke the tension between freedom and confinement, this monumental installation—weighing more than five tons—is modeled after a bird’s wing.

Yours Truly serves as a springboard for visitors to engage in a global conversation about the responsibilities that we all bear as members of the international community. 

With intricately detailed encrustations of ceramic flowers, Ai transforms the utilitarian fixtures (sinks, toilets, and tubs) in several hospital ward cells and medical offices into fantastical, fragile porcelain bouquets.

Stay Tuned invites visitors into 12 individual cells in A Block, where they can sit and listen to spoken words, poetry, and music by people who have been imprisoned for the creative expression of their beliefs—as well as works created under conditions of incarceration.

Using the imagery of flight to evoke the tension between freedom and confinement, this monumental installation—weighing more than five tons—is modeled after a bird’s wing. 

In this installation, the viewer is confronted with a field of 176 colorful portraits laid out across an expanse of the floor. Each portrait—intricately constructed from LEGO® bricks—represents an individual who has been imprisoned or exiled because of his or her beliefs, actions, or affiliations. 

This large-scale installation, located in the building once used for prison labor, is based on the traditional Chinese "dragon kite" and features multiple kites strung together to create a single, large multipart kite. 

Visitors can now revisit—or view for the first time—this once-in-a-lifetime installation of art within the confines of Alcatraz.

Take a look at how creative expression has been an integral part of the Golden Gate National Parks since 2006.