Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton recently toured the Old Joliet Prison last week with the local artist collective, the Old Joliet Prison Burnt District Artists. The local group offered Lt. Gov. Stratton a brief tour of the Administration Building. After Lt. Gov. Stratton met Sue Regis, a Downtown Joliet artist who founded the Burnt District Artists and the Art Movement, Inc., earlier this year at a graduation at Stateville Correctional Center, they scheduled this visit. Regis also worked with inmates in the Restorative Arts program.

In addition to the visit, an artist roundtable discussion was conducted and included Regis as well as six other local artists including Christine Nordstrom, Tony Padilla, Dave Wheeler, Steve Kost, Angelica Cristal and Dante DiBartolo. Others in attendance also included Joliet City Manager Steve Jones, City of Joliet Inspector General Chris Regis, Joliet Area Historical Museum Director Greg Peerbolte, Prison Preservation Coalition co-chair Quinn Adamowski, and Art Movement, Inc. Board Members Erick Dorris and Kayla Zigrossi, who also coordinated the roundtable discussion. The discussion explored the value the artists and their work bring to the Old Joliet Prison rehabilitation and their vision for the future of art at the historic site.

"We are honored to welcome Lt. Gov. Stratton to the Old Joliet Prison today for interaction with some of the Burnt District Artists," Zigrossi said. "Her office will assign a staffer so we can continue the conversations about the future possibilities even after today’s visit. We look forward to what the future holds."

Following the tour and discussion, the Burnt District Artists are looking to work closely with the City of Joliet and the State of Illinois in order to establish ways that art can bring together culture and the community. They believe that joining the two together can help foster positivity and hope for the future at the prison site.

Images via Old Joliet Prison Burnt District Artists