Phyllis Kornfeld, a woman who has dedicated her life to helping incarcerated men and women express themselves through art, will present a lecture entitled “I, Too, Can Create” in Busch Student Center’s St. Louis Room on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Kornfeld began creating artwork at an early age; she soon discovered art’s power to influence people’s lives. While a student at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, a professor suggested that Kornfeld pursue teaching instead of her planned career in advertising. Kornfeld took that advice to heart and, after graduating, taught art at every level of education.

She took great enjoyment out of seeing her students’ completed work; most rewarding, however, was teaching art to prisoners. She saw that even those in prison could create great works of art, which were often filled with hope. Kornfeld became an expert on art created by prisoners; she eventually penning a book on the subject, Cellblock Vision: Prison Art in America.

The Great Issues Committee partnered with the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and the Association of Anthropology, Criminal Justice and Sociology to bring Kornfeld to SLU.

Kornfeld’s lecture will begin at 3:30 p.m. It will be followed by a reception in BSC 317.