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Brush With the Law

Brush With the Law uses the visual arts in community-based beautification projects throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area with a focus on Montgomery County. Projects are led by professional artists who create together with socially marginalized people (such as the incarcerated, parolees/probation, at-risk youth, and those struggling with addiction) to create public art. The purpose is to inspire meaningful changes in participants’ self-esteem and provide new skills that can lead to better employment opportunities, while enabling local communities to work with and come to better understand the challenges of these populations. Brush with the Law seeks to help socially marginalized individuals reconnect with the community through collaborative creative art projects. We believe that by working on projects that serve the community, marginalized individuals and community members start to understand and recognize one another as human beings.

Brush With the Law
This is Part I - a short tutorial on how to make paper beads. It does not include how to glaze the beads once rolled. Part II on glazing and drying will be uploaded soon.
Cody Stuhltrager , a recently released prisoner of SCI-Phoenix (formerly Graterford) who spent 20 years incarcerated, sent this video as a gift to BWTL director, Maria Maneos . Maria and Cody met about 5 years ago while she was teaching art at SCI-Graterford. The song, "Watching the Wheels" by John Lennon, is something she referenced several times over the years, during class or while having Zoom meetings together. Her love for the song stems from a lyric line with a direct reference to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. When I tell ‘em that I'm doin’ fine WATCHING SHADOWS ON THE WALL Don't you miss the big time boy You’re no longer on the ball… 🎼 🎼 🎼 🎼 🎼 🎼 🎼 The shadows on the cave wall represent what we perceive, and the allegory suggests that truth is beyond what we perceive. It is the idea that reality is not what we individually see, observe, or measure … but what we can comprehend in some collective, unified way. What is extremely interesting and profound — aside from Cody’s playing and singing — is the newfound meaning imbued by Cody’s experience: After 20 years in prison, after 20 years of relative ignorance of the larger world, his redemption, his bliss, and the discovery of a new self render him no longer a shadow on a wall. Cody obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University while incarcerated. He was released December 7th, 2021.
5,535 clear glassine baggies have been stuffed with a one-inch crystal bead to represent each person who lost their battle to heroin/opiate addiction in Pennsylvania alone in 2017. Each of these crystal-filled baggies have been strung onto various lengths of monofilament (30# Fishing Line) and gently dangle from above. The artist, Maria Maneos and various participants including: those who are in recovery from addiction, some who are in active addiction, friends and family of those who have lost a loved one to this disease, people who have been assigned to her nonprofit program titled- Brush with the Law – with community service hours to fulfill in Montgomery County, PA due to dui’s or other crimes that are associated with addiction, and high school students from the Ambler, PA area have all worked together on stuffing the baggies with the crystal beads and then stringing all of the baggies onto the various lines of monofilament to create this beautifully, horrific sculpture to illuminate and bring awareness to this epidemic affecting so many around the nation. It's one thing to hear the numbers, but a whole other experience to see them.
Pennsylvania Art fo the State Winner Maria Maneos for the sculpture chandelier titled 5535-2017. The number 5535 is the amount of people who died from heroin overdoses in PA during the year of 2017. There is a crystal bead stuffed into 5535 glassine baggies that were strung onto monofilament and hung from the ceiling to display a beautiful looking crystal sculpture that seemed like a rainfall of light, it wasn't till one understood what the sculpture stood for that it became captivating.
TERMINAL is a song written about Death by Incarceration (DBI) or also known as Life Without Parole. Pennsylvania, where these two inmates, Cody Stuhltrager and Robert LaBarr who wrote this song are housed, is a state that enforces sentences of life without parole or death by incarceration. This is a short preview of the song and video. Please like and share if you can... The video is being developed by Brush With the Law artist and director, Maria Maneos. TERMINAL By: Robert LaBarr and Cody Stuhltrager (inmates at SCI Phoenix - aka Graterford) Sung by artist Andrew Lipke of Philadelphia, Pa Video being created by BWTL director and artist Maria Maneos ***Facebook automatically trims video longer than 1minute, so 26 seconds of the video is missing... it’s also on our Instagram page with the ending intact 👍🏼👌🏼 Beginning lyrics: Get up when you fall, that’s what they always told me destructive patterns drawn, got caught up in the fold blind and reckless paths, fusses burning slowly destined for a crash, mourning and confusion I wish these wounds would heal But it’s terminal, a spiraling distress, a never answered why? terminal, it’s one life laid to rest and another cast aside it’s the end of the line
Adding guarded edge for puring resin onto mosaic table top
old table headed to landfill upcycled with beautiful glass, tiles and resin by brush with the law artists and community service volunteers
Brush With the Law had the opportunity to connect with the Peer Support Recovery Ministry program @newhanoverlutheranchurch @nhelchurch around beautifying their exterior walls. This past Saturday the event was led by the Director of the Peer Support Recovery Ministry who is also a Brush With the Law board member, Ryan Schweiger. The Peer Support Recovery Ministry staff and participants helped with the designing, planning and the making of a nonpermanent mural using chalk and pastels with two local recovery houses from the Pottstown area - men from @rightdirectionliving and women from @anotherdayclean . The food ministry of the church provided the group with lunch and refreshments. Also want to thank and give a shout out to @Rick Scott @rickdarula007 for taking drone video and photo footage of the making process. BWTL was happy to facilitate and be part of this super fun recovery community building activity of about 15 participants. Thanks NHELC neighbors for being a vessel of change in the Gilbertsville and surrounding communities! #recovery #faith # art #feedthehungry #buildingcommunity #chalkart #muralart #gilbertsville #pottstown # boyertown #limerick #montgomerycountypa If you or an organization would like to do something like this or maybe you have something else in mind entirely and would like BWTL to be a part of please contact the director of the program, Maria Maneos brushthelaw@gmail.com www.brushwiththelaw.org If someone is in need of peer recovery support in the Gilbertsville surrounding area contact: peersupport@newhanoverlutheran.org http://www.newhanoverlutheran.org/peersupportministry.php If you or someone you know is in need of recovery housing in the Pottstown surrounding area please visit: Another Day clean http://www.anotherdayclean.com/ Right Direction Living (RDL) https://www.facebook.com/Rightdirectionliving/
Family play room dedicated to female inmates at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Eagleville, PA. It is a safe environment for children to visit with their incarcerated loved ones.
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Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts

3 months ago

Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts
I’m curious about what your life would have been like had you not discovered art and creativity?And if there’s a specific moment in your life you can pinpoint where art really has mattered to you and made a difference for you… Bill Murray: “Well, I think it would be back when I started acting in Chicago. I wasn’t very good. And, I remember my first experience on the stage; I was so bad, I just walked out on the street and started walking. And I walked for a couple of hours, and I realized I’d walked the wrong direction. Not just the wrong direction in terms of where I live, but the wrong direction in terms of a desire to stay alive. And so I, this may be a little bit not completely true, but it’s pretty true - that I walked, I then thought well if I’m going to die where I am, I may as well just go over towards the lake and maybe I’ll float for a while after I’m dead. So, I walked over towards the lake and as I got there I realized I’d hit Michigan Avenue. And I thought, well, Michigan Avenue that runs north too. And so I started walking north and I ended up in front of The Art Institutte of Chicago and I just walked inside and I didn’t feel like I had any place being there. And they used to ask you for a donation. You know when you walk into a museum and I just walked right through because I was ready to die and, I felt pretty much dead. And I walked in and there’s a painting there and I don’t even know who painted it. I think it’s called ‘The Song of the Lark’, and it’s a woman working in a field, and there’s a sunrise behind her, and I’ve always loved this painting. And I saw it that day and I just thought well, look, there’s a girl that doesn’t have a whole lot of prospects, but the sun’s coming up anyway, and she’s got another chance at it. So I think that gave me some sort of feeling that I too am a person and get another chance everyday the sun comes up.The painting titled “Song of the Lark” is an oil on canvas from 1884 by Jules Breton #billmurray #artinstituteofchicago #painting #sunwillrise ... See MoreSee Less

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Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts

5 months ago

Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts
Mini Grant opportunity!!📢 APPLICATIONS ARE DUE IN 1 WEEK!The Montgomery County Drug & Alcohol Community Prevention Program, an initiative of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Drug & Alcohol and Family Services, is offering a second round of Keep It Safe mini-grants of up to $5,000 for the following applicants*:✅ Private and public schools✅ PTAs/PTOs✅ Houses of worship✅ Police departments✅ Recreation/athletic leagues✅ Non-profit organizations✅ Other organizations/community groupsApplications must include a strong emphasis on promoting positive mental health among youth and/or youth substance use prevention 🧠.Examples of funded activities include guest speakers; stress management workshops; mindfulness meditation sessions; yoga classes; art therapy workshops; and family nights. Creativity is encouraged! Learn more ➡️ bit.ly/KeepItSafeMiniGrantsDeadline to apply is Tuesday, April 23!*Agencies currently under contract for prevention services with the Montgomery County Office of Drug & Alcohol are not eligible.#PreventionHappensHere #Prevention #PAprevention #MontCoPrevention #MAPtoPrevention #MontCoPA #MiniGrants #GrantOpportunity #MentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #KeepItSafe ... See MoreSee Less

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Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts

6 months ago

Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts
Reflecting on an inspiring day at Penn Foundation@stlukespennfoundation last Thursday, where Maria Maneos @mmaneos , artist, and director of Brush With the Law had the honor of presenting the “Under the Microscope” project. Grateful to BWTL board member Ryan Schweiger for the invitation for facilitating this meaningful exchange. Sharing this work with clients, rehab participants, and fellow alumni was a poignant reminder of the power of community and the arts in healing and connection. Each story, each interaction, was a thread in the vibrant tapestry of recovery and hope we’re weaving together. For more on the project, visit mariamaneos.com @mmaneos @underthemicroscope22 ... See MoreSee Less

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Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts

6 months ago

Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts
🎨✨ “Life is a canvas filled with bold strokes of joy and many shades of sorrow. At Brush With The Law, we understand that every individual we serve carries a unique story, marked by challenges and triumphs. In this powerful moment, Mike Tyson shares a profound reflection on life’s essence that mirrors our mission.‘Life is beautiful, but you have to accept the good and the bad as being beautiful... Life is beautiful because life gave us the ability to just know them on our journey in life... That’s the purpose of life, just enjoy what we have while we journey through it.’ - Mike TysonIn our program, we embrace every shade of human experience, using art as a medium to express, heal, and connect. We believe that through creativity, we can find our purpose, overcome our fears, and discover peace amidst the chaos.Let’s remember, life doesn’t promise a smooth journey, but it offers countless moments to cherish and lessons to grow from. Like Tyson says, ‘We have to take life on its terms, life on life terms, not ours.’Join us in celebrating the beauty of life, in all its complexity, through the transformative power of art. 🌈🖌️ #BrushWithTheLaw #ArtHeals #LifeIsBeautiful”Thank you @miketyson and @thegoldencircle.tv for this video. ... See MoreSee Less

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Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts

7 months ago

Brush With the Law - Community Service Arts
We are honored to be a part of this funding stream! Thank you Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and PA Pennsylvania Council on the ArtsThe Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is pleased to announce the awardees of the 2023-2024 Creative Sector Flex Fund, a program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In this round of funding, 80 organizations received $5,000 each for a total of $400,000 in grants to support small arts and culture organizations across Southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, and Philadelphia counties). Congratulations to all of the recipients! The next round of the Flex Fund will open in Summer 2024. Learn more at www.philaculture.org/flexfund2023-24 ... See MoreSee Less

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