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Explore the story of artist Jamie Diaz, a trans woman and self-taught artist who has spent nearly 30 years in a men’s prison in Texas.
In 2013, Gabriel Joffe was volunteering for an organization advocating for LGBTQ+ people who are incarcerated, when they happened upon a letter written by Jamie Diaz. Joffe was captivated by the elaborate, colorful illustrations that adorned the letter, and felt compelled to write back. Hundreds of letters and phone calls later, a deep and profound friendship formed between Diaz and Joffe. Though physically separated by walls and miles, the pair have sustained each other through pivotal life moments including gender transition.
During the years of her incarceration, Jamie Diaz became an ever more prolific artist, spending her days in her cell creating works of art with the limited supplies available to her. With brushes fashioned out of human hair, she embarked on a mission to produce the largest collection of queer themed art in the world. She began sending her growing body of paintings and comics to Joffe, who archived and cataloged them on a website where they caught the eye of Daniel Cooney, owner of a New York City gallery well known for bringing largely unknown artists into the public eye. Together, Cooney and Joffe would mount Jamie Diaz’ first solo exhibition, while she remained confined a thousand miles away in prison.
Love, Jamie is a film about pride, chosen family, and the transcendent power of art.
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Now in its 38th season on PBS, American Masters illuminates the lives and creative journeys of those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape-through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim: 28 Emmy Awards-including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special-two News & Documentary Emmys, 14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors. To further explore the lives and works of more than 250 masters past and present, the American Masters website offers full episodes, film outtakes, filmmaker interviews, the podcast “American Masters: Creative Spark,” educational resources, digital original series and more. The series is a production of The WNET Group.