Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Ndume Olatushani overcame one of the most harrowing experiences imaginable: 28 years in prison, including 20 years on death row, for a crime he did not commit. He spent much of this time locked in a 4-by-9-foot cell, shackled and watched, yet in that dark space he discovered art and transformed it into his language of freedom. youtube.com+3Martha's Vineyard Arts & Ideas+3bearingwitnesses.com+3

While incarcerated, Ndume taught himself to paint, began to dream of a place where art and community would live together, and refused to let his spirit be broken. Following his release on June 1, 2012, he embarked on a mission: to build a sanctuary in his beloved St. Louis where creativity, justice, and community ownership could come together.

GET UP! is the embodiment of that mission — a movement rooted in survival, resilience, and collective hope.