At Fortune, we understand the power that creativity has to transform individual lives and ignite change across the social justice landscape. In fact, our own story began from a creative work.
The Off-Broadway play Fortune and Men’s Eyes was produced by our founder, David Rothenberg, who was inspired by its subject matter to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals with justice involvement. Today, 50-plus years later, creativity continues to take center stage in the holistic services we provide.
In our Creative Arts program, participants find release through poetry, short stories, drawings, and more. Select pieces from their artistic output is compiled into Voices of Fortune, our creative arts annual publication. Art from individuals who are currently incarcerated are also included, adding welcome nuance to this collection of works from people impacted by a criminal justice system in need of reform.
Inside these pages are words of conscious self-confidence:
Words of forgiveness:
Expressions of pressure:
And expressions of pleasure:
Daily, participants find new versions of themselves at Fortune. They learn to embody unique individuals with potential to thrive. And through art, they discover that they are capable of creating and becoming masterpieces worth protecting.
As people directly affected by our justice system, Fortune participants also learn to become influencers of change. They boldly offer sharp critique through their words, in the hopes of both advancing reform and deterring others from walking down negative paths:
With each line of poetry and song lyric, finished prose sentence or layer of paint, Fortune participants find strength and healing. Download the full issue of Voices of Fortune, then support our efforts to build creative paths to hope for individuals with justice involvement and reimagine social justice.
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*Article by David Leon Morgan