War Abolition

Walls Turned Sideways
October, 2026 – December, 2027

Exhibition Reception: During the Veteran Art Summit November 7, 2026

Organized by veteran artists currently in prison, War Abolition focuses on visions of freedom and resistance that emerge from inside the carceral system. For decades, incarcerated journalists and anti-prison activists have framed the prisons as a manifestation of war. Within this framework, the exhibition presents expressions of war resistance emerging from inside the prison walls.

Featuring artists John Avaloy, Reginald BoClair, Darrell Fair, Kevin Golar, Sarah Ross, and Devon Showers and more.

Walls Turned Sideways is located at 2717 W Madison St., Chicago, IL 60612.

War Abolition is one of the five featured exhibitions of the 2026 Veteran Art Triennial, RESISTING THE LONG WAR curated by Aaron Hughes, Mohamed Mehdi, and Amber Zora. The Triennial highlights artists’ creative defiance to war and militarism. The featured artworks lift up overlapping legacies of war resistance, presenting alternative visions of peace, healing, and justice generated by diverse communities impacted by war.

Additional Triennial exhibitions are at the Chicago Cultural Center, Elmhurst Art Museum, and Hyde Park Arts Center.The exhibition receptions will take place during the Veteran Art Summit November 5-8, 2026.