Eastern art exhibition highlights female imprisonment in 'House of D'
Show runs until April 27, reception April 24
Willimantic, CT (04/16/2025) — Eastern Connecticut State University's Art Gallery current exhibition, "House of D: Voices out the Window, Stories on the Ground," is on display until April 27. The artists' reception will take place on April 24 at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The exhibition features the work of five artists exploring themes of female imprisonment and queer resistance. Featured artists include Lauren Sandler, Paul S. Briggs, Sana Musasana, Viola Bordon, and Daniel Clauson.
The collection reflects the daily life of the Black, poor, and queer women who were incarcerated from 1932-71 in the Women's House of Detention in New York City's affluent Greenwich Village neighborhood. "House of D" is based on Hugh Ryan's 2022 novel "The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison."
The "House of D," as the detention center was commonly known, played a pivotal role in inciting the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village in 1969, beginning what was then known as the "gay civil rights" movement.
"The exhibition highlights the Art Gallery's dedication to addressing difficult issues and providing an alternative space for learning and growth," said Julia Wintner, Art Gallery director.
The exhibition also features work from "Incorrigibles," a transmedia project advocating for girls' juvenile justice, gathering historical documents from the New York State Training School for Girls (1904-1975) to provide historical context behind female incarceration.
Based on Ryan's novel, Eastern's theatre program will host an original production titled "The Prison That Made America: Women's House of Detention (1932-1974)," written by Professor Reginald Flood and directed by Professor Alycia Bright-Holland, from April 24-27 at the Fine Arts Instructional Center Proscenium Theatre.
Gallery Hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Thursday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Saturday: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
More Information
- wintnerj@easternct.edu
- (860) 465-4625
- Easternct.edu/art-gallery
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
Media Attachments
Featured works in the Art Gallery's "House of D"
Featured work in the Art Gallery's "House of D"
Featured work in the Art Gallery's "House of D"
Eastern Connecticut State University
Michael Rouleau, (860) 465-0172, rouleaum@easternct.edu; universityrelations@easternct.eduShare this Story
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