Join us for this free event as we celebrate the grand opening of the 2026 season. Light refreshments will be provided, as well as live performances by justice-impacted individuals around the theme of “Outside the Box.”

Join us Sunday November 23rd at NYU as Escaping Time hosts an artist talk featuring Jose Diaz, Karen Thomas, and Sione. They’ll be discussing decentering the institution and centering art as a means of growth and expression in jails and prisons.

Sunday, November 23, 2025 @2pm
285 Mercer St, 8th floor
*Please ring bell to be buzzed in*

Karen Thomas spent a portion of her 35 years of incarceration at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility while Elaine Lord served as superintendent. Over the years, they developed a bond that transcended their positions in the carceral system.

Join us Sunday, August 17th @ 2pm at House 8-B in Nolan Park on Governors Island for a conversation about the ways in which they experienced carcerality and established a bond that continues beyond prison walls.

Join ArtCrawl Harlem and @escapingtimenyc for Grace, Guilt, and the Gray Areas: Dissecting Sinners, a conversation diving deep into the film Sinners on Saturday, July 26th at 2:30pm. Facilitated by @convhersations_ Douge (tasha dougé), Jay Darden and @scottulysses

This isn’t just a movie talk — it’s an exploration of moral complexity, personal accountability, and the spaces in between. What happens when salvation isn’t just black or white?

Bring your opinions, questions, your contradictions, and your curiosity.
Saturday, July 26th 403 Colonels Row, @governorsisland NYC
All are welcome.

Join Escaping Time as we host artist James Meyer discussing the creation of art in carceral spaces and being tasked with building “therapy cells” in prison and the process involved in recreating them. View and interact with his art while also learning about the ways in which his experiences intertwined with his works.

Join us on Sunday @governorsisland , June 1st at 2pm for a conversation with formerly-incarcerated artists Jose Diaz and Karen Thomas as they discuss the intersection of identity and carcerality. Prison impacts both self and societal perceptions, the ripple effect of which can often be found in their respective behaviors, and the artists will delve into how they navigated their carceral spaces and the ways in which their art is intertwined with identity.

The response to last year’s workshop on prison art was so well-received that we’re running it back this fall! Join us on Governors Island, NYC on Saturday, September 21st 1pm for a workshop that delves into the ways in which people in carceral spaces create art when there are no traditional materials available.

Our first fundraiser, hosted by People Function. Surrounded by art created by people who have been through the carceral system, the fundraiser included a panel discussion with Escaping Time artists, along with activist Dominic J Dupont, and artist Amaury Padilla. Moderated by Celeste Hippolyte, the conversation centered on the difficulties of creating art in carceral spaces and the ways in which artists improvise to create the ideas and images they want to express when traditional materials are not available.

Escaping Time was invited to speak about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Muse, a company that assists people in finding employment.

Escaping Time lead curator, Jay Darden, hosts a talk at the Museum of Ice Cream about creating art while incarcerated.

We partnered with the ASAP program at BCC where the art was a backdrop for a panel discussion about the criminal justice system. BCC students spoke to the audience about their own experiences with the criminal justice system and how they did not let those experiences keep them from pursuing college degrees.