An appearance by acclaimed author John Grisham will add celebrity sparkle to next month’s “Justice Through Journalism” programming by the Innocence Institute of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Resurrected After Exoneration,” an exhibition of portraits by Pittsburgh artist Daniel Bolick of men exonerated for crimes they did not commit, will open Tuesday in the school’s Lawrence Hall. The Innocence Institute investigates claims of wrongful convictions.
Mr. Bolick’s paintings debuted last year at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg and have been traveling. They will remain at Point Park until April 2.
Mr. Grisham will speak briefly and answer questions during a March 24 gala that will benefit the Innocence Institute, which has prompted 14 convictions to be reversed in the past five years. Mr. Grisham was inspired to write his first work of nonfiction, “The Innocent Man,” by the story of a wrongfully convicted man in a small Oklahoma town. Gala attendees will receive a signed copy of the book.
The evening will also include the Pittsburgh debut of a one-act play, “Voices of Innocence,” written and performed by three men exonerated from Louisiana’s death row.
A silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and live music will precede the performance, and coffee and dessert will follow.
The gala is limited to 180 tickets, which are $250 ($225 per individual in groups of 5-10 people, $200 in groups of 10 or more), and may be purchased at 412-765-3164.
