Germantown museum The F.I.R.M. showcases art by people who served time in prison

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new museum in Germantown goes beyond the art to focus on the struggles and conflicts that inspired it.

“This is me when I was in prison, when I come home after 29 years,” said artist and author Carlos Terry, pointing to photographs of himself in his book “Misguided Life: The Wrong Turn.”

Terry is a true believer in the purpose behind the Formerly Incarcerated Renaissance Museum, or The F.I.R.M. , a new arts space in Germantown that highlights the work of people who were formerly incarcerated.

“This is history,” Terry said. “Something God sent and God blessed.”

Rev. Michelle Simmons stood beside Terry, nodding in agreement. She is the founder of Why Not Prosper , a nonprofit serving formerly incarcerated people in Philadelphia and the organization behind The F.I.R.M.

Simmons was also once in prison, where she served six years on drug-related charges. She says she knows the struggle firsthand — inside and outside of the system.

“I see the power in us, right? In how we transform. The creativity and innovativeness about us. And nowhere in the world was it being highlighted. And I said, ‘Well that’s going to change.’”

So she created The F.I.R.M. to change peoples’ perceptions by humanizing formerly incarcerated people through creative expression.

Simmons says art can be a powerful tool to change minds, and the museum proves that every day.

“The goal is to change the narratives around formerly incarcerated people. We have a lot of people in this museum from all over the country.”

The F.I.R.M. is located at 717 East Chelten Avenue and is open to the public, Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.