Project Title
Airplanes

Discipline
Visual Art

Grant Amount
$976

Website
 

Description
Corresponding with inmates from the United States penal system began as a way for Benjamin Wills to maintain a connection to an old friend who is serving a life sentence. As he wrote to more inmates, he became increasingly fascinated by their stories, stories that were often eerily similar to one another. Lost identity, abandonment, and sadness were among the common themes. After three years, hundreds of letters, drawings, and pictures, he still finds it fascinating to be able to communicate with people who live their lives in a completely separate world. Airplanes is a project that allows these prisoners access back into our society. Each paper airplane is sent from a person currently incarcerated. While each piece is recognizable as a paper airplane, each piece represents the individual who constructed it.