Good morning. Today, artist Chloë Bass reflects on public art in the US carceral system after being approached by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs to submit artworks for correctional facilities. Beyond the surprise of receiving such an offer as an artist committed to abolitionism, Bass observes that well-funded art commissions for prisons and jails are simply “a reflection of the overall amount of money designated for the construction and maintenance of certain types of public buildings and spaces over others.” Her thought-provoking essay asks us to consider how those funds might be used instead, including to support incarcerated people.

Fires across LA County have left countless artists and art workers without homes, studios, and decades’ worth of work and supplies. Those affected can tap into mutual aid networksand other resources, which we’ve compiled and will continue to update below.

Also today, Hyperallergic editors round up the old (and old-ish) art books they’re revisiting in the new year and Staff Reporter Maya Pontone brings us a recently launched public domain image archive to get your creative juices flowing.

— Valentina Di Liscia, News Editor

Here is a working list of available resources and relief efforts to help artists impacted by multiple fires that continue to ravage parts of Los Angeles County.

Sally Mann photos at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth were reportedly removed following Republican officials’ calls for an investigation of her works.

Find awe and inspiration in the Public Domain Review’s new online archive, which compiles illustrations, photographs, and more.

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