The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) in Philadelphia, in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, presents "Jesse Krimes: Elegy Quilts," an exhibition featuring works from the artist's ongoing Elegy Quilt series (2020-present). The show debuts a newly commissioned quilt, "Riverside" (2026), created from used clothing collected from incarcerated people. Krimes, a Bucks County-based multidisciplinary artist who experienced incarceration himself, gathers donated clothing and textile fragments from currently and formerly incarcerated individuals and reconstitutes them into patterned quilts that meditate on memory, loss, and resilience. The exhibition also includes collages made during workshops with graduates of Mural Arts' Restorative Justice reentry program, which informed both the quilt and a forthcoming public mural in Philadelphia's Spring Arts District, to be unveiled June 3.
This exhibition matters because it uses the traditional craft of quilting to confront the human costs of mass incarceration in the United States, giving voice and visibility to those often obscured by the carceral system. By collaborating directly with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, Krimes transforms personal narratives and everyday materials into powerful works of art that challenge stigma and foster empathy. The partnership between FWM and Mural Arts Philadelphia also highlights the role of community-based art in restorative justice, demonstrating how creative practice can support reentry and amplify marginalized perspectives within the broader art world.