The project debuts a new quilt and mural by the Pennsylvania-based artist
Philadelphia, PA, April 22, 2026—The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM), in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, is pleased to announce an exhibition of works from award-winning multi-disciplinary artist Jesse Krimes (born 1982 in Lancaster, PA; lives and works in Bucks County, PA and New York, NY). The exhibition centers on selections from his Elegy Quilt series (2020–present), a body of work that renders the personal effects of the U.S. carceral system through portraits of domestic spaces. The exhibition debuts Riverside, a newly commissioned quilt informed by Krimes’s work with Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice program, which supports people whose lives have been impacted by incarceration. Running May 1–November 1, 2026 in FWM’s first floor gallery, Elegy Quilts will coincide with a new public mural in Philadelphia’s Spring Arts District, to be unveiled May 28, 2026.
Drawing on his own experience with incarceration, Krimes gathers donated clothing and textile fragments from currently and formerly incarcerated individuals and reconstitutes them into intricately patterned quilts that meditate on memory, loss, alienation, and comfort. Continuing in the spirit of American quilting traditions, the works situate these narratives within broader histories of communal making and resilience.
To produce the works on view, Krimes invited incarcerated collaborators to describe a memory of home. He then prompted them to choose a representative animal figure as a symbolic stand-in for the incarcerated person. The quilts, titled after U.S. prisons and jails, become tactile archives grappling with estrangement, yearning, and the complexities of release and reintegration. Empty domestic interiors and absent figures evoke both loss and the persistence of belonging. Animal presences serve as both proxies and protectors for unseen subjects, reasserting the humanity of those obscured by incarceration. Through this process, Krimes reframes everyday materials into narratives of dignity and connection, prompting critical reflection on the psychological and material costs of incarceration.
During a series of workshops with the artist held in 2025, eight graduates of the Mural Arts Restorative Justice reentry program (who now work as the Mural Arts Rec Crew revitalizing community spaces and assisting with mural installations), reflected on their own experiences to create a series of collages. Focusing on three elements—a piece of furniture, an animal, and a personal object symbolizing identity—each collage becomes an allegorical self-portrait that shifts from remembrance toward imagining future selves. Krimes has synthesized these designs into a single quilt, Riverside, that amplifies the voices and visions of the Restorative Justice program participants.
The workshops and collages also serve as studies for the forthcoming large-scale mural by Krimes. Also titled Riverside, the finished mural will be installed on the north tower of 990 Spring Garden Street—a location that has hosted several public art projects and events throughout the years, thanks to an ongoing partnership between Mural Arts and Arts + Crafts Holdings, the developer behind the Spring Arts District. By presenting the Elegy Quilts alongside these developmental materials, the FWM exhibition offers an intimate look into Krimes’s collaborative process and underscores the transformative power of community as a source of care and resistance.
“This work extends the Elegy Quilt series into a collective, aspirational form shaped by young people directly impacted by incarceration,” said Jesse Krimes. “Shifting from memory to imagination, the process creates space to envision who they are becoming. Riverside brings these visions together into a shared image that insists on presence, dignity, and the possibility of a different future.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Mural Arts to present this vital body of work by Jesse Krimes, whose voice brings compassion and urgency to issues of incarceration and reintegration,” said Kelly Shindler, FWM’s Executive Director and curator of the exhibition. “As an organization devoted to both collaboration and the creative process, FWM is delighted to uplift his practice of engaging a broad community of artists whose lives have also been impacted by incarceration. Further, Krimes’s commitment to craft traditions rooted in community storytelling will invite audiences to consider how collective histories are forged and remembered.”
“Jesse Krimes’ work reminds us that everyone deserves safety, security, and dignity, no matter their circumstances,” said Jane Golden, Founder and Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “This particular project has been incredibly meaningful for everyone involved, especially our young Restorative Justice program participants, who have benefitted from Jesse’s mentorship. We are grateful to our partners at The Fabric Workshop and Museum and Arts + Crafts Holdings for working with us to bring Jesse’s artistic vision and lived experience to a broader audience here in Philadelphia.”
Media Opportunities + Opening Events
Press Preview
Jesse Krimes: Elegy Quilts
Thursday, April 30, 1:00–3:00 pm
Brief remarks and an artist-led walkthrough will begin at 1:00 pm.
Available to media-only | RSVP here
The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Artist Talk
Jesse Krimes in Conversation
5:00–6:00 pm
An intimate talk with the multi-disciplinary artist Jesse Krimes. Damon McWhite, Director, Restorative Justice at Mural Arts Philadelphia, will join in conversation.
SOLD OUT | Media inquiries accepted
The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Opening Celebration
Jesse Krimes: Elegy Quilts + Some American Dreams
Be among the first to experience two new exhibitions that address the complexities of American life.
Free | RSVP encouraged
The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Dedication Event
Riverside Mural Unveiling
Wednesday, June 3, from 4:30–7:30 pm
The public is invited to celebrate the completed Riverside mural in the Spring Arts District.
Triple Bottom Brewing, 915 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Programming
In collaboration with FWM, Mural Arts will also offer a special restorative justice-themed walking tour in June 2026, featuring murals by Krimes and other artists, and including a visit to the Elegy Quilts exhibition. Visit muralarts.org/tours in May to learn more about the tour and to purchase tickets. Additional public programming will be announced.
About the Curator
Jesse Krimes: Elegy Quilts is organized by The Fabric Workshop and Museum in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia. The exhibition is curated by Kelly Shindler, Executive Director, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, with Hilde Nelson, FWM Curatorial Fellow.
About the Artist
Jesse Krimes is a multimedia artist whose work examines systems of power and control, with a focus on criminal and racial justice. While serving a six-year prison sentence, he produced and smuggled out multiple bodies of work, established art programs, and co-founded artist collectives. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Art & Advocacy, the first national organization dedicated to supporting justice-impacted artists.
Krimes received an Emmy Award for the documentary Art and Krimes by Krimes. He has presented solo exhibitions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and his work has been exhibited at MoMA PS1, Palais de Tokyo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum, among others. He is a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Creative Capital, Rauschenberg Foundation, and the Art for Justice Fund. His work is held in major public and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he is the first living artist formerly incarcerated to enter the Museum’s collection. He is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Collage Artists
This exhibition features collages by Hannah Bickert, December “Ablessing” Collins, Tajee Flamer, Tasheema Flamer, Joyzoé Montes-Paris, Tysean Moore, Eleonore “Tiny” Noncent, and Rahsaan Standback. Each was created by the artists through a series of workshops led by Jesse Krimes in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice program.
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