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Millersville University’s Department of Art & Design welcomes alumnus Jesse Krimes ’08, as the 2025 Conrad Nelson Artist. His work, which has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, examines systems of power and control, focusing on criminal and racial justice. During a six-year prison sentence, he produced and smuggled out numerous art pieces, founded art programs, and co-created artist collectives.
The Conrad Nelson Lecture is scheduled for Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. in the Winter Visual & Performing Arts Center on campus. It is free and open to the public.
Krimes is the founder and director of the Center for Art & Advocacy, the first national organization dedicated to supporting creatives impacted by the justice system. Krimes also led a successful class-action lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, challenging predatory fees imposed on formerly incarcerated individuals.
Krimes earned an Emmy Award for his documentary “Art and Krimes by Krimes.” His art has been exhibited at major institutions, including MoMA PS1, Palais de Tokyo, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the International Red Cross Museum. He was awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Pew Research Center, Rauschenberg Foundation, Creative Capital, the Mellon Foundation, and the Art for Justice Fund. His work is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Kadist Foundation, Bunker Artspace, and the Agnes Gund Collection collections. He is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery in New York.
The Conrad Nelson Artist-In-Residence Fellowship, established in 2000 by MU alumnus Conrad Nelson, hosts accomplished visual artists working in various media, displays and describes their works, gives public lectures on issues in the arts, and interacts with students, faculty, and other members of the greater Millersville community.
For more information, contact Heidi Leitzke / heidi.leitzke@millersville.edu/ 717.871.7253 or Shauna Frischkorn / shauna.frischkorn@millersville.edu/ 717.871.7256.
