Alma & Frank: Designing Creative Futures One Story at a Time

Bill Cleveland: 00:00:01

What if art could open the door to a new life after prison? What if creative work wasn't just healing, but a literal job offer?

From the center for the Study of Art and Community, this is Artist Change Chronicle of art and social change, where activist artists and cultural organizers share the strategies and skills they need to be creative community leaders. My name is Bill Cleveland.

In a time when reentry programs are scarce and trust is hard to rebuild, this episode, the second of our two part series on the work of California Lawyers for the Arts, introduces Designing Creative Futures, a groundbreaking initiative that uses the power of the arts to help formerly incarcerated individuals reclaim their future. With stories from inside and outside the system, we explore how mentorship, hands on creativity and belief in potential can lead to lasting change.

In it, we'll hear how a coalition led by California Lawyers for the arts helped over 200 individuals find not just reentry internships, but purpose.

We'll learn how mentorship and woodworking in prison and Designing Creative Futures on the outside helped one man, Frank Quiros, discover his calling and build a new life.

And we'll discover how storytelling, craft and persistence are reshaping re entry with dignity, creativity and impact

Part 1: A Jobs Program

All right, I'm going to switch channels here and why don't you just tell me the story of designing creative futures, because that is a frontier that needs to be explored. Why don't you talk about that and how it came to be?

Alma Robinson: 00:02:02

This story about our reentry program emerged during COVID Governor Newsom expressed an intention to release up to 8,000 people early because of the crowded conditions in our state prisons during COVID as a way of mitigating some of the health impacts. So our staff looked at that and said, well, what are these folks going to do?

We reached out to 21 arts organizations that provide artists inside or did. They weren't going in during COVID but we reached out to them and asked them for recommendations of who they would recommend for early release.

We were going to be proactive. We're going to get some of those artists out. And so our staff was very busy collecting names from these organizations.

We sent a database that listed 525 people who were incarcerated in California and sent very specific information about what they were recommended for, what kind of work they had done inside, what their supervisors, their artists that they worked with said about their work habits, their readiness for release and to be contributing in the community. We sent that list to the governor's office. Somewhat naively, we didn't know what they were going to do with it, but we found out who to send it to.

And they got back to us and said, well, we don't want to release people into poverty and homelessness.

Bill Cleveland: 00:03:40

Aha.

Alma Robinson: 00:03:41

What can we do about that? So we set out to create a jobs program. We went to the NEA. We got an Our Town grant for $100,000, biggest NEA grant we ever received.

We were in collaboration with the city of San Diego. They made funds available too. And we said, okay, we'll start a pilot project.

million in: 2022

Instead, during that time period, we placed 219 people, which is almost 50% exceeding our initial goals. Talk about return on investment. We went back to the state, we said, look at this, y'.

Alma Robinson: 00:04:39

All.

Alma Robinson: 00:04:40

And they said, initially, great. Love to support you some more. And then it was, but we have no money.

We know the state is in a terrible financial free fall right now, and there's all things coming from the fires in LA to the health impacts from the federal government, et cetera, et cetera.

forward into this fiscal year: 2526

Many were invited to continue as employees of the same organizations where they were placed.

We gave them college and career counseling with qualified educational counselors, monthly professional workshops, support as needed for emergency situations. And we really built a cohort that we are very grateful to know.

These people, some of them are extraordinary, and they're making lives for themselves, going back to school, reconnecting with their families, being good citizens, some of them starting nonprofits or working with nonprofits. So we're very excited about the results of that program, and we are determined not to let it go.

Bill Cleveland: 00:06:15

Well, I have to tell you, every once in a while, you stumble across a nugget. You know, so many things that people do are well intended. They do as much as they can.

But we live in complex environments, so it's hard to get a beginning and a middle and a happy ending. But this one is out of the park. I have to say. Your experience with corrections.

Alma Robinson: 00:06:42

Correct.

Bill Cleveland: 00:06:42

Clearly you learned the lessons of what it takes to move the needle in this kind of work. Because so many times people do things piecemeal, and this is not a piecemeal effort. Part two, Frank's story.

You know, at the end of the day, proof of the lasting impact of programs like Designing Creative Futures is ultimately found in the stories that rise up from the people involved. When we finished our conversation, Alma not only shared one of those stories, but she put me in touch with the best person to tell it.

His name is Frank Quiros, and here is what he shared. So, Frank, welcome to the show. Where are you hailing from?

Frank Quiroz: 00:07:35

I'm in Los Angeles, Oil Heights area.

Bill Cleveland: 00:07:38

And we met through a mutual friend, Alma Robinson. And I know that you are a part of a program that she's very proud of. Could you talk about that?

Frank Quiroz: 00:07:50

Yeah. She's with California Lawyers for the Arts. They have an LA office.

And it was a program called Designing Creative Futures that helped previously incarcerated individuals, men and women, to gain some experience in the arts, whether it be through digital media. Sometimes they work in library science doing archiving, sometimes doing lighting for shows.

I actually started out at the People's Pottery Project and I was throwing clay.

Bill Cleveland: 00:08:21

Oh, wow. Yeah.

Frank Quiroz: 00:08:23

I wanted to learn how to do that and I thought it'd be a great experience to have it work with a different medium, something other than wood.

And the two ladies that ran that program were actually ex lifers and had gotten out and got connected with a lady, Ms. Larkey, who was the daughter of Carole King, who owned that studio and handed it off to them when they made it their own. And they went with it and they're doing great. But they were right in the middle of a transition to move that shop.

And so I was placed at another internship and that was a Self Help Graphics and art, which is a premier.

Bill Cleveland: 00:09:02

It is. It's legendary.

Frank Quiroz: 00:09:04

Yeah, they're awesome.

They were like one of the first Dia de los Muertes programmers or people that would help facilitate these celebrations of that day in this area in east la. And they've grown. And anyway, that's where I ended up. Those two locations is where I ended up.

Bill Cleveland: 00:09:21

So talk about the roll of the dice. Obviously, two powerhouse women who knew the territory. Right.

And then you ended up at Self Help Graphics, which, you know, the history of Self Help Graphics is just incredible. There are so many people who have moved through Self Help Graphics who are incredible artists, community leaders, organizers.

Frank Hernandez Gronk, Patsy Valdez, Lille Limon. Yeah, it's an amazing place. Part 3 Frank and Jack so when you were inside you ended up learning about wood. How did that happen?

Frank Quiroz: 00:10:08

I was probably about maybe halfway through my 20 some odd year sentence and I knew that I was going to need to make up career pivot.

And so I contacted one of the captains on a yard that I was at and I said, look, do you think I could get over to this other yard that has EIA Woodworking now.

Bill Cleveland: 00:10:28

That'S the Prison Industry Authority, right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:10:31

Yeah. She said I'll see what I can do. And two days later I was moved.

So I went to that yard and I did that for a reason, was one to learn a new trade and the other was so that I could earn money to help pay for schooling. And I eventually used that to help get my bachelor's degree while I was still incarcerated. So I did both. I learned woodworking and that.

Bill Cleveland: 00:10:52

So what did you learn about woodworking while you were inside?

Frank Quiroz: 00:10:56

Yeah.

So the California Prison Industry Authority is actually a provider of all the furniture for 33 prisons as well as state colleges, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Highway Patrol as well as the California Department of Veterans Affairs. We'd made furniture large scale production for all of these different entities.

At the time there was only two woodworking production manufacturing facilities and we were one of them. And we would basically make furniture for these different places. And it was amazing to make furniture at on that scale.

Bill Cleveland: 00:11:33

Yes, I can imagine. And so you learned the machines but you also learned hand work, right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:11:40

Yeah. When I, I was put up for a non adverse transfer because we, our points had dropped.

And I went to a private facility in Taft, California and there was a small woodworking shop there. That man, his name was Jack Reedy.

Jack that used to be a teacher in the public school system, offered to teach it to as a vocational program to the incarcerated men that were there. And I convinced the captain to let me interview for the position and I got it along with one other gentleman and we became his TAs.

And so we did both, we did vocational TA work for him as well as facility carpenters when there wasn't a class running.

Bill Cleveland: 00:12:20

So my understanding is you were under his tutelage for six years or so. He must have taken you a long way as a mentor and a teacher.

Frank Quiroz: 00:12:30

It's very unusual situation because it was a private facility. It wasn't under the auspices of CDCR. They had a little bit more freedom.

So Jack would, if he knew that we were going to do like say he wanted to teach us how to do dovetails by hand. He would bring in the chisels, or he'd bring in a guide, or he'd bring in some tool that we needed. He would just bring it in.

And so we were able to do things that might have not been possible anywhere else. And so we were able to create things using exactly the tools that we needed. And sometimes we would use makeshift, the creative part of it.

Bill Cleveland: 00:13:07

Yeah. So you had opportunities to follow your own ideas, right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:13:13

Absolutely. He actually would bring in, and I remember this Jack was amazing.

He would bring in piles and piles of woodworking magazines, Wood magazine, fine woodworking magazine, you name it. He would bring in books about woodworking and not just basics, but some pretty complex plans.

And he would bring these in and share these with the students. And as long as you could fit it in a box that was a certain size, they were allowed to build anything that they wanted.

So these guys would get pretty creative.

Bill Cleveland: 00:13:47

So beyond the tools and the wood, what did he teach you?

Frank Quiroz: 00:13:53

Okay.

He basically just, you know, things like don't quit too soon when you start on a project and try to notice the self doubt, like feel the feeling, but don't give into it and don't catastrophize when something happens. If a project breaks at some section. He always used to tell us it's everything is fixable. He always used to tell us.

And he always jokingly would say, why do it once when you can do it three times? There was some truth to that.

Bill Cleveland: 00:14:21

Yeah. Sometimes restrictions and repetition actually increase creativity. Yeah. And materials. You had a surplus of pallets, is that right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:14:31

Yeah, wooden pallets from shipping of foodstuffs and packages that guys would receive. Hardwood, softwood. And we would take these things apart. Killer on the knuckles.

But a great way to learn how awesome it is to actually have the material that you need. So. But we would take these pallets apart and we would build things.

And there was a guy there that made a sculpture, a jewelry box, but it was in the shape of a turtle out of some oak and glued it up into a block, and then he proceeded to cut it and shape it, and it was amazing. And he sent that home to his mom. He was so proud of that. It was great.

Bill Cleveland: 00:15:06

Yeah.

That's one of the things that people who aren't familiar with inside life is that relationship with the outside and having something to send home really matters a lot.

Frank Quiroz: 00:15:17

Yeah. Yeah. And we had a great receiving and release. Sergeant. Sergeant Rodriguez was a great lady and she would do everything she could to help us.

Sometimes they put together two boxes for Something that was especially large just to get it out the door.

Bill Cleveland: 00:15:34

Yeah. Just cutting corners to make things happen. That's the mother's milk of good time. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Part four Palettes and Vitrine.

So this program that Alma introduced you to set you on a path after you left Self Help Graphics, you got a gig at the LA County Museum of Art. Is that right? That's a pretty sweet gig. Yeah.

Frank Quiroz: 00:16:06

One of the individuals that I met there was Marvea. She was the director of Self Help Graphics.

And she actually used to work for LACMA and said, hey, I think for what it is that you want to do, you might want to try to apply there. And I did. And she gave me a great recommendation to the head of the exhibition design and production department, and they ultimately hired me.

I work in gallery construction.

Bill Cleveland: 00:16:29

Frank, you seem to have the blessing of connecting to people who are on your side, which is a real connection. That's a real gift. That's a good thing.

Frank Quiroz: 00:16:41

I'm a yapper, so I think the fact that I'm a yapper probably helps. I get that from everybody, from friends. My girlfriend tells me all the time, she goes, you're like a politician.

You're always talking to people, shaking hands. I'm like, if we got some commonality or familiarity or just people want to talk, okay, let's talk. So I was, yeah, you're right.

And I was able to do that with a few people there. And really a great organization.

Bill Cleveland: 00:17:08

So I have a good friend, she taught bookmaking book art at San Quentin. And I don't know if you're familiar with San Quentin, but it has an art room and it's had one for a long time. So they have space to have materials.

Just sort of like a Vogue shop, but devoted to art making. And she has a theory. I'd just like to pass it on to you. And that's this.

She feels pretty strongly that at least the people she worked with, the people who came and stuck and saw it through and became really fine artists, had a lot to teach folks on the outside about, I guess you'd say, not only making your way in life, but also how to get along. What do you think of that? That actually some of the people that we put away are actually could have things to teach the people on the outside.

Frank Quiroz: 00:18:06

Oh, yeah.

I think most of the guys and gals that I've met on the inside, the way they carried themselves, that was a very interesting thing for me because sometimes you have to put a different face on in order to survive that situation sometimes. And these people did to a certain degree. But for the most part they were themselves, they were real.

And I think they have a lot to offer society still. And they made a mistake and they'll have to deal with those consequences.

But eventually when they got out, they're going to be able to offer some amazing things to society again.

Bill Cleveland: 00:18:43

Yeah. Well, actually, I'm going to ask you this question. So it's five years from now. What do you want to be doing?

Frank Quiroz: 00:18:50

Oh, that's a good question. I've always, my. I've always kind of fancied myself as a lifelong learner and I unfortunately are.

The museum may or may not purchase this machine that would allow us to kind of be kind of bring back more of the work that we've contracted out to vendors. And I've actually, I'm looking at another pivot as far as my career goes. I've actually looked at working in the re entry field.

Bill Cleveland: 00:19:21

Wow.

Frank Quiroz: 00:19:22

And I actually interviewed with a company yesterday that provides peer support for people that are reentering with a component that deals with mental health. And to give these people the best support and resources to help get out and stay out and do well and be successful, however they measure that.

And so I've looked at that as a possible career pivot at this point. I did it once before when I was in to get out, so now I'm looking at possibly doing it again.

Bill Cleveland: 00:19:55

Yeah, well, it's like turning a bad turn into a good turn. And I mean, obviously you went to a pretty intense university and learned a lot. And my experiences.

There's a lot of counselors out there trying to help. If you haven't been down the road inside, it's really hard. So you'll be able to speak to your brothers and sisters in ways that others can't.

Frank Quiroz: 00:20:23

Yeah, absolutely.

Bill Cleveland: 00:20:25

Yeah. So you had a story about your mentor and a special table you made. Could you tell that story?

Frank Quiroz: 00:20:35

Yeah, I probably about maybe six months before. Well, actually I should say about maybe a year before Jack decided that he was going to retire.

I had been saving up some material and continue to save up some hardwood material. And some of it was just beautiful wood, all pallet wood, all with nail holes and things like that.

So I took it apart, milled it, got it cleaned up and actually started creating a Scandinavian style coffee table. And the table was going to be hand rub, finished with tung oil and given to Jack as a retirement gift.

And my, my co worker, he did something for him and something special. And I did this for him. Gave it to him. And anyway, he loved it. And I cried more than he did when I gave it to him. And I just said, thanks, Jack.

I really appreciate everything you've done for us. We all do. And everybody came to say bye to him on his last day and he took this table home with him.

years later, Fast forward to: 2020

And I drove out to Bakersfield from la, met up with him at a restaurant. And he called me over to his truck and pointed inside and there was the coffee table that I had given him.

Wanted to have it back because he felt that I was going on this next chapter of my life. It would be nice to have something beautiful, something that meant a lot to me. And as much as it meant to him, he wanted me to have it back.

And I totally understood why he was doing that. And it meant a lot to me. Love that man. Like a father. He really was a great man.

Bill Cleveland: 00:22:10

Yeah. I mean, everybody deserves to be taken care of and respected by somebody in that way.

It sounds to me like a big part of your journey is interacting with somebody like that.

Frank Quiroz: 00:22:24

Yeah. And honestly, it's an amazing thing.

Wherever you are in your life most of the time, I think it's the experience that you have with the people that teach you, that affects you more and will guide you on whatever that path is than it is the actual thing that you're doing.

Bill Cleveland: 00:22:42

Yes, absolutely.

Frank Quiroz: 00:22:44

And I never looked at my table as artwork until I got out and realized this was. I remembered it was a Scandinavian style table.

And I went to tour the museum for the job and saw some Scandinavian artwork furniture there on display. And I'm like, wait a minute. So I'm like, oh, okay. This is art.

Bill Cleveland: 00:23:05

Yeah, yeah. You designed it yourself. I mean, it was just a hunk of wood to start with, right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:23:10

Yeah.

Bill Cleveland: 00:23:11

I mean, isn't that kind of a miracle, don't you think?

Frank Quiroz: 00:23:14

It absolutely is. Jack actually was amazing. Before I did that table for him, the first thing I ever did was a turn of the century three legged chair.

And he brought in white oak for it that he had sitting in his backyard covered up under a tarp. He brought this in and he said, what are you going to do with it?

So I've been eyeballing this chair design and it has like a mortise and tenon, very primitive, but very well made, simple. I was going to send it Home to my brother. So he helped me figure this out.

But the big part, the glitch, was making the back leg that was going to be the backrest and the support for the back of this chair. And it had a bend to it, and it had to be straight. And Jack told me, you can't change the wood. It is what it is. So just work with it.

Work with the deficit, work with. And that was a great learning experience, working with Jack, learning. There was so many life lessons that he conveyed through the woodwork.

Bill Cleveland: 00:24:15

Yes.

Frank Quiroz: 00:24:16

Patience, embracing the process, the challenge that when something happens where something breaks, instead of losing your temper and getting angry and throwing things, to just realize, step back and just recalibrate and just tell yourself, I can fix this. I might not be able to figure out how to do this right now, but I can fix it.

And talk to your buddies and run it by them and just that communication and to slow it down, and how that attitude from him and the way he conveyed it to the guys, sometimes not directly, but through the woodwork, it stuck better than it would have if he would have just told him that.

Bill Cleveland: 00:24:56

Yeah, lectured, right? Yeah, exactly. And I got to tell you, we live in a world that, you know, a lot of people think that if they make a mistake, it's. They've been busted.

Right. And when, in fact, what you just described, which is a lot of mistakes are gifts on the way to the thing that's on the other side of it. Right.

And practicing. Making mistakes, practicing failure is a real part of the creative process.

And it's one of the reasons, I believe so strongly that little kids who are experimenting all the time, that inclination towards making things up and inventing things needs to be supported for your whole life because it's such an amazing muscle to have that. So you can't be a lifelong learner if you don't know how to fail, right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:25:57

Yeah, absolutely. I definitely agree with the fact that, you know, we. It's real easy to.

To get down on yourself when you try something and it doesn't turn out maybe the way that you thought it was or the way that it was. We're told that it would turn out, but it's just the fact that you had the courage to try it.

Bill Cleveland: 00:26:19

Right.

Frank Quiroz: 00:26:20

That sometimes means the most. And the connections that come. Come with that.

Jack passed away a few years ago, and but one of the things that I noticed was that every single person that I've kept in touch with that was a student with Jack has a story about Jack, something, some personal event, something that occurred, that really changed the way they thought about life. And so they all had that connection in some way or another.

I never knew about it, but in talking with them after he passed, realizing he was definitely a beacon of hope, a light in that situation.

Bill Cleveland: 00:26:58

So it sounds like if you do end up pivoting to a different path, you're basically trying to follow down a similar path, which is providing that kind of positive energy, learning energy for folks who have been in your shoes.

Frank Quiroz: 00:27:16

Yeah, I know.

It's this organization in particular, this position was held open for someone that had experience the criminal justice system in some way and that had dealt with some kind of mental health component. For me, it was ptsd, kind of anxiety situation. And just to be able to identify with the population.

And that is a big part of getting out, is that it really is a challenge.

It's especially a challenge for somebody that's dealing with anxiety or ptsd, getting out and just that fear of making it get back on your feet again and being successful. I have friends that I talk to now, just through texts or periodic phone calls. And I'm like, hey, you still breathing?

You know what's going on over there? And I. He.

He's going through a real tough situation right now, but he's seeking assistance, and I always remind him, he always has a web of support, and I'm one of them. And so just reach out if you ever talk really matters or whatever. It really matters.

And so the point of that is, is that whether it was in there or out here, life is hard. And it helps to have people advocating for you, and that I'm hoping that's. That'll be what that job provides.

Bill Cleveland: 00:28:34

Yeah. And actually, it not only helps, it's a necessity. Nobody makes it alone.

Frank Quiroz: 00:28:38

Yes.

Bill Cleveland: 00:28:39

You know.

Frank Quiroz: 00:28:39

Right.

Bill Cleveland: 00:28:40

And you're living evidence of that. So here's a question before we leave. Is there anything that you're doing now that is really turning you on, that you really are excited about?

Frank Quiroz: 00:28:53

We just reset a gallery for another upcoming exhibition. All these exhibitions are always interesting to me because I see only plans, and then we actually see the art. It's amazing.

I think for me, it's just excited every single time that we set up for a new gallery, how the public is going to take it, how they're going to enjoy it, and because that's what this is all for. It's for them to be able to come and see the art and enjoy it and to feel a sense of joy in experiencing that art. Everybody's different.

Everybody interprets art Differently.

Some pieces just speak to people immediately, and others, it's just to be able to be a part of providing that's that set, that background for that to happen is exciting.

Bill Cleveland: 00:29:38

It is. I used to work at the Walker Art center in Minneapolis and as the director of education.

And the thing that most people don't realize when they walk into a gallery is that that was just a blank space and that modern museums are designed so you can mess with it big time. You know, move walls, pound things, change things, which is an amazingly creative thing to make a nest, in a sense, for something precious.

That's interesting.

Frank Quiroz: 00:30:13

Absolutely. We just celebrated the Geffen Gallery opening less than a month ago.

Bill Cleveland: 00:30:19

Whoa.

Frank Quiroz: 00:30:19

$898 million building. They finally finished it after eight years of construction.

And so we've been going in there, figuring out where all the things are going to go, and we're going to be installing some vitrines and platforms. And most of them are made using some of the trees that were cut down from the grounds prior to the construction of this building.

Bill Cleveland: 00:30:44

Wow, that's interesting.

Frank Quiroz: 00:30:46

They actually had Angel City Lumber, great organization, come pick up these trees. They cut them into slabs and then mill them. They're basically going to have them. They have them, cut them to fit these new piece, permanent vitrines.

Instead of making vitrines, taking them apart, destroying the plexi, destroying the mdf, where they're using metal and glass and real wood to make permanent housing for this artwork. It's a little pricey in the beginning, but in the end, it's the. It's a better option.

Bill Cleveland: 00:31:16

Yeah, absolutely. So anything that you've read lately that jumps out at you, that you've really.

Frank Quiroz: 00:31:22

Oh, gosh. Forever and will always be Les Miserables.

I read that book probably five times while I was incarcerated, different versions of it, and went to see Watch the movie, obviously, inside. But when I got out to go see that at the Pantages. Yes. That story is. Is the story. That book is the book for me.

Bill Cleveland: 00:31:44

It is.

Frank Quiroz: 00:31:45

Yeah.

Bill Cleveland: 00:31:46

Back from Nowhere, right?

Frank Quiroz: 00:31:47

Yeah.

Bill Cleveland: 00:31:48

Yeah, absolutely. Well, Frank, it's been a pleasure to begin to get to know you. Alma certainly sent me to the right place here.

I really appreciate your spending this time and telling me your story.

Frank Quiroz: 00:32:04

I appreciate the invitation. I really do.

Bill Cleveland: 00:32:06

Okay. Take it easy.

Frank Quiroz: 00:32:07

Take care. Bye. Bye.

Bill Cleveland: 00:32:09

Bye. Frank. It's been a pleasure. And as we wrap up here, there's a lot to sit with from this show, but here are three things that stuck with me.

First, you know, opportunity isn't just about jobs. It's about trust. The Creative Futures initiatives worked because it believed in people before they had to prove anything.

That trust made everything else possible. And then if you listen to the stories on this show, you have to be aware that art can be a bridge not just to healing, but to real world impact.

For Frank, Woodworking wasn't just an outlet, it became a path, a skill, a career. Creativity isn't soft, it's strategic. Finally, systems just don't change by themselves.

It takes people like Alma, like Jack, like every Creative Futures intern who stepped into something new, doing the daily work of reimagining what's possible. So thanks for listening. If this story moved you, pass it on. You never know who might be ready to hear it.

Art is Change is a product of the center for the Study of Art and Community. Our theme and soundscapes spring forth from the head, heart and hand of Maestro Judy Munson. Our text editing is by Andre Nebe.

Our effects come from and our inspiration comes from the ever present spirit of ook 235. So until next time, stay well, do good and spread the good word. Once again, please know this episode has been 100% human.