Eastern State’s February Programs Focus on Justice and Creative Expression

Philadelphia, PA (Feb. 9, 2026) — This February, Eastern State invites visitors to explore programs that examine justice and the power of creative voices within spaces of confinement. February’s programming highlights Finding Justice Month, featuring video installations, mini-tours, Justice 101 programming, and special artist-led experiences that explore how words, art, and music have shaped movements for justice both inside and beyond prison walls.

“February at Eastern State highlights the role of creative expression in shaping conversations about justice and human dignity,” said Dr. Kerry Sautner, President & CEO. “Through art, storytelling, and historical interpretation, our February programming encourages visitors to reflect on how creative voices have challenged systems of incarceration and continue to inspire dialogue, understanding, and change.”

Eastern State’s February calendar features:

Finding Justice Month
Sunday, February 1 – Saturday, February 28, 2026
Finding Justice Month at Eastern State invites visitors to explore how expression through words, art, and music has always been a natural and essential human right, even within spaces of confinement. Throughout the month, visitors can engage with exhibitions, installations, and tours that examine the role of creative expression in resistance, reflection, and justice. These programs are included in general admission.

• Finding Justice Self-Guided Tour
  Sunday, February 1 – Saturday, February 28, 2026
  Explore how the fight for civil rights reached Eastern State. This self-guided tour highlights the voices of prominent civil rights leaders and incarcerated people and connects their struggles to the broader movement for equality. Reflect on the ongoing pursuit of justice inside the prison walls and beyond. Included with admission.
   
• Voices Of Liberation Video Installation
  Sunday, February 1 – Saturday, February 28, 2026
  Guests are invited to visit this video installation near the historic site’s central rotunda to hear from prominent civil rights leaders who spoke and wrote from behind bars, using their voices to challenge oppression and inspire collective change. This experience is included with general admission.
   
• Highlighted Mini-Tours
  Sunday, February 1 – Saturday, February 28, 2026
  During the Chaplain’s Office Murals and Music Mini Tours, learn how creative expression — through visual art and sound — has long offered both reflection and resistance within the prison walls. Tours are available select times daily and included with general admission.

Justice 101: Reconstruction and the Origins of Modern Incarceration
Wednesday, February 18, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom and YouTube
Join the Eastern State Center for Justice Education for this installment of Justice 101, which examines the Reconstruction Era as a pivotal chapter in American legal and social history. Hear from Ashley Jordan, Ph.D., President & CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and Reggie Shuford, J.D., President & CEO of The Independence Foundation, to explore how postwar reforms, shifting labor systems, and emerging state and local policies influenced patterns of incarceration and social order in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Moderated by Dr. Kerry Sautner, President and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, together, they will consider how Reconstruction-era decisions continue to inform the structure and function of the American justice system today, offering historical context for understanding its evolution over time. Free to attend, interested guests can register for the online program here.

Public Tour with Artist Talk
Saturday, February 21, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join Eastern State for a special guide-led tour and discussion featuring a Q&A with artist Mark Loughney. The program offers focused interpretation of the site’s history and current art installations, connecting historical narratives with contemporary artistic expression. Included with general admission, guests are encouraged to purchase timed tickets to secure a spot.

Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
Saturday, February 21, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Visitors to Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site are encouraged to experience Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration, a powerful mural by artist Mark Loughney, presented in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia. The work features hundreds of portraits sketched during Loughney’s ten years of incarceration, depicting fellow prisoners and offering a deeply human perspective on the immense personal cost of mass incarceration in America.

Since returning home from prison, Loughney has continued to expand the project, creating portraits of advocates for criminal justice reform and underscoring the idea that meaningful change is a shared responsibility.

As part of the ongoing installation, Loughney will be sketching portraits of historic site visitors from 12:00 to 4:00 pm near the mural, located adjacent to the Prisons Today exhibit. Visitors interested in participating are invited to stop by during their visit or speak with a member of the Eastern State team for more information. Included with general admission.

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Media Contact
Abby Kleman
Cashman & Associates
[email protected]
M: 302-668-4781

About Eastern State
Eastern State preserves America’s first penitentiary, advancing public understanding of the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives of those affected by it, to inspire a more just future. For more information, visit EasternState.org and follow Eastern State on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube.