Our Mission
As a platform for incarcerated artists to share their voices through the creative arts, we aim to reduce the stigmas against them in society and raise awareness for reform.
Our values
We are a small group of volunteers who run on three things:
INTEGRITY
We are always transparent about the artist backgrounds and allow them to share their own stories. Each artist sets the price for their work and we ensure they receive the funds accurately.
proactivity
Our team is efficient with our time and limited resources. We plan exhibitions ahead of time in a way that clearly showcases our artists and educates visitors.
adaptability
Our organization is always growing and partnering with others to help expand our reach and provide greater visibility for our artists.
How It Works
We receive art submissions from incarcerated people in various ways. The majority of the work comes to us from loved ones who help facilitate the process, and then our lead curator takes over from there. Once we have the work in-hand, we photograph it to add it to our website and hang it up in our exhibition spaces.
The artist sets the price and has the option to include a description including the inspiration behind the piece and the materials used. We notify each artist when their work has sold and send them the funds directly.
why the arts?
Creating art is a way to express emotions and feel a sense of liberation, even while behind bars. The act of creating allows incarcerated individuals to escape time and rewrite the narratives of their lives so that they aren’t known only for their worst mistakes.
By exhibiting artwork created behind prison walls, we are able to engage visitors, bring attention to issues related to the carceral system, and remind people that there are human beings behind each piece, most of whom will one day reenter society.
fostering community
Our volunteers attend many community events where we showcase artwork and help realize our mission. Each of our exhibitions has an interactive component where we invite visitors to reflect on ways their own lives mirror the lives of incarcerated peoples. By creating immersive experiences, we help generate a sense of empathy and ignite an internal urge to help improve the U.S. carceral system.
how it all started
Since our first exhibit in 2015, we have developed our own relationships with incarcerated artists, and our mission has expanded from one of educating viewers about the incarcerated population, to advocating for change in both our judicial and penal systems.
who we serve
We’re based in New York City but accept art from current and formerly incarcerated artists from all over the country.