jackie sumell, a prison abolitionist, ex-jock and multidisciplinary artist, draws inspiration and parallels from the lives of everyday people and the natural world. 

For over two decades her work has been an expression of gratitude for her beloved elders Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, Robert King and Zulu Whitmore. In 2024, jackie established Freedom to Grow as an evolution of her vast social practice, and serves as the Creative Director, working to establish the John Thompson Legacy Center for Abolition and Beyond in recognition of their incredible legacies of wisdom. 

Positioned at the intersection of abolition, social practice, healing justice and contemplative studies, her work has been showcased extensively across the U.S. and Europe. sumell’s practice has been supported by prestigious residencies and fellowships, including the 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, 2023 Christian A. Johnson Fellowship, 2022 Marguerite Casey Foundation Fellowship, Rockefeller Foundation, Art 4 Justice Fellowship, Soros Justice Fellowship and S.O.U.R.C.E Fellowship. Her collaboration with Herman Wallace, featured in the Emmy Award-Winning documentary "Herman's House" (Best Artistic Documentary 2013), catalyzed a movement to end long-term isolation in the United States, advocating for a society without prisons. In 2005, sumell moved to New Orleans, Louisiana to be closer to her elders, this is where she continues her collaborative practice with projects under the Freedom to Grow umbrella, like Herman's House, Solitary Gardens, The Abolitionist’s Apothecary, and The Abolitionist’s Sanctuary, alongside several community-driven advocacy projects and weeks of elaborate costuming. 

To learn more about her work visit her monumental website jackiesumell.com.