Connect Prison Picasso -- USAGM
Metadata
- Connect Prison Picasso -- USAGM
- May 23, 2022
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English CONNECT Prison Picasso (TV) HEADLINE: Artistic Justice TEASER: Wrongfully imprisoned man uses his talent to reclaim life PUBLISHED AT: 05/23/2022 BYLINE: Aaron Fedor DATELINE: Buffalo, New York VIDEOGRAPHER: Aaron Fedor PRODUCER: Kathleen McLaughlin, Kyle Dubiel, Zdenko Novacki COURTESIES: SCRIPT EDITORS: EA VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 3:00 VID APPROVED BY: EA TYPE: VPKGF EDITOR NOTES: )) ((Eds: This is a self-narrated feature. There is an accompanying music track.)) ((INTRO)) [[Valentino Dixon was wrongfully sent to prison, where the power of art helped set him free. Aaron Fedor talked with him about how he was able to use his talent in prison to reclaim his life.)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) I've been given many nicknames when I was in prison, you know. Most of the inmates called me "The Prison Picasso", you know. And they kind of ran with that because they would see me drawing all day long. I drew up to ten hours a day every day and I never took a day off. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) I was arrested at 21 years old. I was hanging out at a popular hangout in Buffalo, New York, a restaurant and a shooting occurred. I took off, ran to my car and shortly thereafter, I was arrested and taken into custody and questioned. I was charged with shooting three people and within days, eight people came forward to clear me of the crime and the person responsible confessed to the crime. All of those witnesses and the confession was disregarded. I was found guilty of all charges, given a 39 years to life sentence. I found myself in Attica Correctional Facility and I didn't know what to do. And all I was asking myself is, "How are you going to survive this? You know, who's going to help you? Who's going to believe that you're innocent of this crime?" you know. I had written numerous letters, hundreds of letters and all of them were ignored. And you know, I had to make a choice, a conscious decision, you know, if I wanted to live or if I wanted to die. And when I watched the movie, Shawshank Redemption, the main character had two choices because he was innocent for the crime he was in jail for: "Get busy living or get busy dying." This is the favorite, famous quote. And that kind of resonated in my spirit. And it wasn't until my uncle told me, "Hey!” he said, "Hey, you need to, maybe, you need to start drawing again because if you could reclaim your talent, you could reclaim your life." He sent me some color pencils and some paper and I started drawing after that. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) I started a foundation called the “Art of Freedom" to fight against wrongful conviction and sentencing guidelines in America, okay, which is the reason why we have mass incarceration because our sentencing guidelines are too harsh and excessive and it violates our Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time, when he met me, he said I reminded him of Nelson Mandela because of my spirit, you know, because I'm not bitter, I'm not angry. You know, in life, we're all going to be tested with something and we don't get to decide the test. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((BANNER: After 27 years of wrongful imprisonment, Valentino Dixon was exonerated in 2018)) ((Courtesy: Valentino Dixon)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) Artwork was a therapy for me in prison but for you it may be something else. We have, all have a gift. We all have a talent. Find out what your talent and your gift is, you know, and embrace it wholeheartedly. But this is what keeps the spirit alive in this world. It's a lot of challenges and you need something to keep that spirit going. ((MUSIC/NATS))
- Transcript/Script CONNECT Prison Picasso (TV) HEADLINE: Artistic Justice TEASER: Wrongfully imprisoned man uses his talent to reclaim life PUBLISHED AT: 05/23/2022 BYLINE: Aaron Fedor DATELINE: Buffalo, New York VIDEOGRAPHER: Aaron Fedor PRODUCER: Kathleen McLaughlin, Kyle Dubiel, Zdenko Novacki COURTESIES: SCRIPT EDITORS: EA VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ TRT: 3:00 VID APPROVED BY: EA TYPE: VPKGF EDITOR NOTES: )) ((Eds: This is a self-narrated feature. There is an accompanying music track.)) ((INTRO)) [[Valentino Dixon was wrongfully sent to prison, where the power of art helped set him free. Aaron Fedor talked with him about how he was able to use his talent in prison to reclaim his life.)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) I've been given many nicknames when I was in prison, you know. Most of the inmates called me "The Prison Picasso", you know. And they kind of ran with that because they would see me drawing all day long. I drew up to ten hours a day every day and I never took a day off. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) I was arrested at 21 years old. I was hanging out at a popular hangout in Buffalo, New York, a restaurant and a shooting occurred. I took off, ran to my car and shortly thereafter, I was arrested and taken into custody and questioned. I was charged with shooting three people and within days, eight people came forward to clear me of the crime and the person responsible confessed to the crime. All of those witnesses and the confession was disregarded. I was found guilty of all charges, given a 39 years to life sentence. I found myself in Attica Correctional Facility and I didn't know what to do. And all I was asking myself is, "How are you going to survive this? You know, who's going to help you? Who's going to believe that you're innocent of this crime?" you know. I had written numerous letters, hundreds of letters and all of them were ignored. And you know, I had to make a choice, a conscious decision, you know, if I wanted to live or if I wanted to die. And when I watched the movie, Shawshank Redemption, the main character had two choices because he was innocent for the crime he was in jail for: "Get busy living or get busy dying." This is the favorite, famous quote. And that kind of resonated in my spirit. And it wasn't until my uncle told me, "Hey!” he said, "Hey, you need to, maybe, you need to start drawing again because if you could reclaim your talent, you could reclaim your life." He sent me some color pencils and some paper and I started drawing after that. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) I started a foundation called the “Art of Freedom" to fight against wrongful conviction and sentencing guidelines in America, okay, which is the reason why we have mass incarceration because our sentencing guidelines are too harsh and excessive and it violates our Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time, when he met me, he said I reminded him of Nelson Mandela because of my spirit, you know, because I'm not bitter, I'm not angry. You know, in life, we're all going to be tested with something and we don't get to decide the test. ((MUSIC/NATS)) ((BANNER: After 27 years of wrongful imprisonment, Valentino Dixon was exonerated in 2018)) ((Courtesy: Valentino Dixon)) ((Valentino Dixon, Artist, Exoneree, Prison Reform Advocate)) Artwork was a therapy for me in prison but for you it may be something else. We have, all have a gift. We all have a talent. Find out what your talent and your gift is, you know, and embrace it wholeheartedly. But this is what keeps the spirit alive in this world. It's a lot of challenges and you need something to keep that spirit going. ((MUSIC/NATS))
- NewsML Media Topics Crime, Law and Justice
- Topic Tags Prison
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date May 23, 2022 15:05 EDT
- Description English Valentino Dixon was wrongfully sent to prison, where the power of art helped set him free. Aaron Fedor talked with him about how he was able to use his talent in prison to reclaim his life.
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English