Julie Green: Thank God, I’m Home

Talk by the former New York Times critic, Kirk Johnson: TBA

For the past three years until her recent death, Julie Green (1961– 2021) had been asking wrongfully convicted persons about their “first meals” upon their release from prison, painting their responses for her series by the same name. With colorfully painted details of food, such as oranges, burgers and fries, and pizza, twelve works from the series featured in this exhibition humanize and personalize the shocking statics around wrongful convictions in the U.S. Partnering with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University and The Innocence Project, Green’s focus extends beyond the individual meals (and individuals) she depicts to the sheer number of wrongfully imprisoned in this country and the reason for their unjust incarceration. 

This exhibition is made possible through the generous support from the Ford Family Foundation and the cooperation of Elizabeth Houston Gallery in New York and Upfor Gallery in Oregon.