Curator Discusses Death Penalty Art Show

Thanks to Scott Cobb and the Texas Moratorium Network for posting this video of Annette Carlozzi (Senior Curator of the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art) introducing the Justice For All? Death Penalty Art Show and explaining the jury decisions in regards to the artwork selection.

The Justice For All? show opened at Gallery Lombardi in Austin, Texas last month and features my painting Last Meal: Ruben Cantu, the first in my continuing series of paintings about the death penalty. From my artist statement -

"Ruben Cantu was seventeen years old at the time of the offence for which he was wrongly convicted. After sentencing, he wrote to the people of San Antonio: “My name is Ruben M. Cantu and I am only 18 years old. I got to the 9th grade and I have been framed in a capital murder case."

His last meal consisted of barbecue chicken, brown rice, refried beans and sweet tea. His request for bubble gum was denied.

His innocence is now widely accepted; it is believed that a close family member was the actual perpetrator of the crime."

Last Meal: Ruben Cantu was one of 50 pieces of artwork chosen from over 300 international entries.



Kate MacDonald