A Prison Art Community On the Power of an Annual Exhibition in Michigan to Support More Than 700 Incarcerated Artists
Colossal, January 31, 2023: A Prison Art Community On the Power of an Annual Exhibition in Michigan to Support More Than 700 Incarcerated Artists
“For touting freedom as a foundational right, the United States cultivates a system of control. The nation incarcerates more people per capita than any other country, and even after COVID-19-related releases, the population totaled about 1.9 million people in 2022, more than that of Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth largest city in the U.S. with approximately 1.6 million residents.
“As abolitionists and activists fight to end mass incarceration and the horrifying conditions of life in prisons, individuals and organizations have taken it upon themselves to help those trapped in the unjust system. The Prison Creative Arts Project, or PCAP for short, has been undertaking such work for decades, bringing its community at the University of Michigan together with those directly affected by the carceral system through workshops, learning opportunities, and an annual exhibition. The goal is to foster connections and create a robust community of artists that transcends prison walls.
“In December 2022, I spoke with two formerly incarcerated artists, Johnny Van Patten and Josh Herrera, who joined PCAP while inside and have been profoundly impacted by its efforts. I also connected with faculty director Nora Krinitsky for insight into the backend of the project, how it operates and what its community members experience both inside and out. We discuss how creative practices function while incarcerated, why exhibiting and selling work is essential to the process, and what the humanity of art means in a system built on dehumanization.”
Additional reading:
27th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons, March 21—April 4, 2023
Prison Creative Arts Project at the University of Michigan
