From Penn State Berks
Pictured above: Signage for Walk With Us exhibit. Photo courtesy of Sam Bower
Penn State Berks will host “Walk With Us,” a community-based art exhibition that relates the firsthand experiences of people and families impacted by incarceration and asks the viewer to consider the future of justice in Berks County. The exhibit opens on Monday, Sept. 28, with a ceremony and presentation at 12:15 p.m., followed by a reception in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is free and open to the public.
Visitors are invited to experience the artwork, engage with listening stations featuring community voices, and read about justice and carceral impacts on communities. Installations will be located on the Perkins Student Center lawn, the Freyberger Gallery inside the Perkins Student Center, and the inside walkway between the Perkins Student Center and the Beaver Athletics and Wellness Building.
“Walk With Us” features murals and interactive installations designed to encourage reflection, dialogue, and community engagement. The murals were designed and facilitated by artists Mike Miller and Theron Cook, with participation from people detained in the Berks County Jail System, corrections staff, county administrators, and community members.
This exhibit was initiated through a partnership between Building Justice in Berks, The Real Deal 610 and the Vera Institute on Justice. It is also supported by Not One More: A Peace and Justice Project and the Penn State Berks criminal justice degree program.
The Berks for Justice website explains that the exhibition grew out of a local effort to examine the role of incarceration in Berks County and to create space for residents to share their experiences and perspectives. The initiative expanded into a countywide data study and listening tour that gathered firsthand accounts from more than 120 people impacted by incarceration.
Ebonie Cunningham Stringer, associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Berks and executive director of Not One More, commented, “My purpose for bringing ‘Walk With Us’ to Penn State Berks is to create an opportunity for our students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to listen, learn, and engage with the lived experiences behind the data, as these stories challenge us to think critically about incarceration, justice, and community needs.”
She added that the exhibit also reflects the broader goals of the Building Justice in Berks organization, which include examining the county’s reliance on incarceration and encouraging investment in approaches that address underlying community needs, including housing, substance-use treatment, employment, and other forms of support.
The ‘Walk With Us’ exhibition will run through Nov. 19, 2026.
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