Art for Justice Featured Daniel Gwynn’s Presentations and Art  on September 30 at two events sponsored by the Bethlehem Area Moravians and hosted by Moravian University’s School of Theology.



The Moravian Academy Upper School welcomed Daniel to address the student body and faculty. The Academy students expressed deep gratitude to Daniel for sharing his experiences of horrific injustice and detailing how he turned to art to survive and create during his lengthy incarceration. The students gave Daniel a standing ovation and many stayed afterwards to talk with him informally.


One of the students who wrote a comment said about one of Daniel’s paintings that “I like how he made the light fill his whole body as the sun fills the sky.” Daniel’s art has been on view at the Academy since August 25 and will remain until October 25.


After visiting with Art and Civic classes at the Academy Daniel brought his art to Moravian University’s School of Theology where he displayed his work and attended a reception with guests. Afterwards Daniel gave a presentation about his arduous journey accompanied by a slide show of his art. The audience, in person and zoom, gave accolades to Daniel for his truth-telling, courage, and thought-provoking art.


EXHIBIT 2025

Daniel Gwynn celebrated his 1st year Anniversary of Freedom on 3/2/25 with his family, friends, lawyers, and advocates at an event sponsored by Art for Justice, the Johnson House’s Center for Social Advocacy, and the Big Beard Barber Shop at Our House Cultural Center in Germantown.

 

Featured during the evening:

  • an exhibit of 25 artworks by Daniel
  • a slide show documenting Daniel’s accomplishments throughout the year, his many pen pals during his 30 years of wrongful incarceration, and significant times he shared during the past year with family and friends
  • a presentation with speakers, Karl Schwartz, his Defense Attorney, Cornelia Swinson, Ex Director of the Johnson House, AMKirk, Director of AfJ, and, most inspiring, Daniel Gwynn.

 

What Joy to honor Daniel for his courage throughout his long incarceration, his fortitude fighting to obtain justice and be freed, and his steadfast work to create a new life for himself with his family, friends, and community!

Daniel with his attorneys, Alan Tauber & Karl Schwartz

Daniel standing in front of his art

Daniel with Cornelia Swinson, Valentino Howell, and Ann Marie Kirk

“Art as Advocacy”,  an Art for Justice event featuring Daniel Gwynn, exonerated death row artist, took place on March 11 for University of Notre Dame students, Cecilia, Reese, Henson, Cailey, Rosie and Post Doc Research Scholar, Geneva Hutchinson, during their tour of Arts Organizations in Philadelphia. Mr. Gwynn told of his phenomenal fight to win his freedom from the wrongful conviction that bound him to PA’s death row and illustrated his tortuous experience with his art, most of which was created while he was in solitary confinement on death row. The dramatic works, “Decisions II” and “Continuing Slavery”, by AfJ co-founder, Charles Lawson, (Zafir), were also exhibited at the event. 

EXHIBITS & EVENTS 


Art for Justice (AfJ) Presentation, Art Display, and Interactive Experience took place at Arcadia University on 11/14/23. Professor Kevin Review invited AfJ to bring art by individuals experiencing injustice to stimulate conversations about those injustices and the struggles taking place to right these wrongs for students in his class, “Wrongful Convictions and Exonerations”, and other students at Arcadia.


AfJ asked Muti Ajamu-Osagboro to be our speaker for the event. Muti spoke about being sentenced to death by incarceration when he was a child and experiencing 42 years of incarceration for a crime he said did not commit. AfJ shared the art of Charles Lawson (Zafir), Daniel Gwynn, Eduard Ramirez, Rene Ortiz, and George Lopez.


Lebanon Valley College, Nov. 8, 2022

Art for Justice Presentation, Art Display, and Interactive Event took place at Lebanon Valley College, Nov. 8, 2022, for the Criminal Justice Class, The Rights of the Accused, taught by Ms. La Tasha Williams, Esq., Board President of AfJ. Curriculum included pre-class, in class, and post class activities. Excerpts of students’ written responses to the event.

 

Thoughts and Ideas generated by artwork and narratives:

  • It broke my heart hearing the artists’ stories and seeing them so powerfully portrayed in the art.
  • Art is such a humanizing thing. If more people could see this art, more people would have empathy and understanding.
  • Our system has failed people and the policies that are still in place prevent progress.
  • Art is so innately human. Seeing these artists fight back against the system by holding onto their humanity – when it is being beaten out of them – was incredible.

 

Does the AfJ interactive presentation and artworks motivate or stimulate a call to action?

  • Educate myself and others to get involved any way I can.
  • Plan more events like this for campus.
  • Advocate for people in the system.
  • There’s a call to action for our system to not force a confession – or simply imprison someone so you can say the case is solved –  to take the time to actually conduct an investigation and evaluate the evidence.


Comments for Artists and Art for Justice:

  • This artwork is so important. The work of the artists and Art for Justice cannot be overstated.
  • It was an honor to view and talk about the work. Thank you.
  • The art is amazing. The event showcases such a raw and unfiltered side of what people don’t know that happens behind bars.
  • These artworks are astounding. They allow people to see a snippet of what life I like inside and how horrible the system is.
  • Your art tells many stories – keep your head up. The world needs to see this.


AfJ Exhibit: Incarcerated Artists’ Creations from Within

Sponsored & Hosted by the Moravian Center of Lancaster and the Islamic Community Center of Lancaster, was featured during the nine week event - Paint, Prison, and Possibilities: Conversations About Justice, Oct. 1 – Nov. 28, 2021. Pastor Mandy Mastros organized four Panel Discussions focused on Solitary Confinement, Reentry, Art as a Human Right, and the Lancaster County Prison. Representatives from seventeen Organizations, Returning Citizens, Survivors of Solitary Confinement, Artists, and Advocates participated in public and small group conversations.

Shown in this photo are Muti, Kevin Revier and some of the students who participated in the discussions at Arcadia University.

Incarcerated Artists’ Creations from Within Exhibit - Sponsored & Hosted by the Moravian Center of Lancaster and the Islamic Community Center of Lancaster