July 17 – July 24, 2025
About the artist
Upon retiring in 2017 after 40 years of teaching art at Williams College, Ed Epping moved to New Mexico and began fully dedicating himself to his own art making.
Central to his work has been The Corrections Project, a multi-tiered and multi-media exploration of injustice in the United State’s criminal justice system. Troubled by recollections of his own father’s comparatively easy imprisonment for embezzlement (“he was an accountant, white, and privileged”), Ed chose to “explore incarceration and over-criminalization more broadly, and look at the populations most impacted by criminal justice abuse.”
Featuring selections from The Corrections Project, Ed’s exhibition is as much a catalyst for advocacy as an art show.
exhibition events
OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, July 17, 4:00-6:00 PM
Puddle Dock Village School, 275 Head Tide Road, Alna, ME
Celebrate the opening of Ed Epping’s show with live music by pianist Sam Thomas and light fare provided by Rising Tide Co-op. An informal gallery conversation with the artist begins at 5:00 PM.
Free and open to the public. No pre-registration required.
Sam Thomas, whose experience in prison informs his belief that “each incarcerated person matters, and so does their story.”
Pyrographic drawing by Ed Epping.
PYROGRAPHIC DRAWING DEMONSTRATION
Saturday, July 19, 1:00-4:00 PM
Puddle Dock Village School, 275 Head Tide Road, Alna, ME
Pyrographic drawing, the art of drawing into wood, leather or paper by scorching the material with hot tools, is the technique Ed Epping uses to create his portrait series, “Exonerated.” Experience the process firsthand at Puddle Dock Village School, where Epping will showcase his method, and pyrographic artist Lauren Woodcock will offer visitors the opportunity to try the technique themselves.
Free and open to the public. No pre-registration required.
ART WITHOUT WALLS: CREATIVITY & INCARCERATION
Sunday, July 20, 3:00-5:00 PM
Alna Meetinghouse, 1789 Alna Road, Alna, ME
Art can shine a light on the real lives of people affected by incarceration. This event features an outdoor pop-up exhibition of works from Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition’s (MPAC’s) prisoner art show, a talk by artist Ed Epping, and presentations by individuals from Freedom & Captivity and Reentry Sisters about their carceral experiences and how art helps with healing and justice.
Free and open to the public. No pre-registration required.
Detail of a painting from MPAC’s art show.
Lady Brion, Maryland’s Poet Laureate, performs her dynamic poetry about justice-impacted lives in song and spoken word.
REENTRY & REDEMPTION: VOICES OF EXPERIENCE
Thursday, July 24, 3:00-5:00 PM
Alna Meetinghouse, 1789 Alna Road, Alna, ME
Reentry is not a solo act—it’s a shared responsibility. With nearly all incarcerated Mainers returning to our communities, their voices are essential to shaping a more just future. This afternoon of poetry, music, and dialogue features pianist Sam Thomas, Maine Re-entry Network founder Bruce Noddin, AIMe’s Larraine Brown and HIIT’s Norman Kehling presenting true stories from behind the walls and beyond, and a headline performance by Maryland Poet Laureate Lady Brion.
Free and open to the public. No pre-registration required.
CLOSING RECEPTION
Sunday, July 24, 5:00-7:00 PM
Village School at Puddle Dock, 275 Head Tide Road, Alna, ME
Celebrate the conclusion of Ed Epping’s exhibition with an evening of live music by No Spring Chickens and light fare provided by Rising Tide Co-op.
Free and open to the public. No pre-registration required.
Linda (Blaze) Picceri and Michelle Tanguay of No Spring Chickens.
acknowledgements
Thank you to Rising Tide Co-op, a trusted community resource for high-quality, natural, sustainable foods and goods located in Damariscotta, for in-kind catering for Ed Epping’s opening reception.
Puddle Dock Village Festival is a Studio B Project
Studio B uses arts and humanities to support community justice and wellbeing. We seek to empower marginalized and isolated populations through art experiences, exhibitions, and community programs that address pressing social issues, while also highlighting our shared humanity. Learn more about Studio B here.