Felipe Concepcion interviewed by Raheem Devino
Raheem DeVino (00:36): My name is Raheem DeVino. I'm here doing an interview with Mr. Felipe Concepcion, here at Sullivan Correctional Facility, this class that you're participating in, and I really have a few questions I would like to ask him, and about his experience of it. Please, go on and introduce yourself.
Felipe Concepcion (00:38): Yes. My name is Felipe Concepcion, and I reside at Sullivan Correctional Facility, involved in this art class. And, um, I am here to answer some questions concerning this art class.
Raheem DeVino (00:45): Okay. We're gonna pick up––I think is very important. Tell me about your favorite memory from this class.
Felipe Concepcion (00:53): Well, one of my favorite memories from this class, um, was we did a meditation on seeing yourself in a happy moment, happy mood. You know, whether you was young or not, and that meditation took me back when I was a young kid in Puerto Rico. You know, I was taken, I went to a plaza with some family members, and, um, as soon as I went into that plaza, I, you know, I never saw a plaza like that before. It was so peaceful. You know, family together, you could hear the birds singing, flying from tree to tree. You know, the smell of cooked food, you know, from the stores next, and around. And, um, it just brung me such joy and peace, you know, I never, you know, as a young kid, experienced before. You know? And, um, that was a very memorable time for me.
Raheem DeVino (01:45): Right. I'm gonna have, I'm gonna––what does this space offer you that differs from other spaces you've been a part of?
Felipe Concepcion (01:59): What does this space offer me? Um, well, for me, you know, peace of mind. It offer me, you know, tranquility, you know, um, away from negative, you know, um, happenings, activities that I don't wanna be around. And it offered me a chance, not only that, but to know my fellow, uh, artists, brothers that are here with me to, you know, see how they express themselves in, through art, you know, and through the things that we were being taught here in this class.
Raheem DeVino (02:32): What would you like someone on the outside to know about participating in this class?
Felipe Concepcion (02:39): What I would like people from the outside to know, that we are not as society, or certain people paint us to be, as monsters. You know? There are people in here, they are very gifted, they're talented. You know? Uh, you know, if you apply yourself, you could become a better person, you know? There are, uh, you know, there are many ways that a person could, could, um, um, better themselves in here, you know? And I would like to, um, say to society out there, you know, outside, outside, that, um, there is... Uh, this is not what, we are painted out to be like monsters.
Raheem DeVino (03:21): Okay. That's our interview, because we have a time. I wanna thank you for your time, for your honesty, for your patience in answering these questions. Hopefully they will have more art classes so that people could really get the experience that you got...Thank you.
Felipe Concepcion (03:41): Yes. Thank you. You're welcome. Have a nice day.
Raheem DeVino (03:45): You too.