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The multidisciplinary art performances presented in depth on this exhibition site were created by men and women who are incarcerated in the state of California. The projects were developed in workshops facilitated by a collaborative team of faculty, students, and professionals associated with the Prison Arts Collective. Fourteen men and twenty-three women participated in the project at two prisons, the California Institution for Men and the California Institution for Women, respectively. They worked with a team of artists, faculty, and students for just six short weeks, approximately 6 hours per week, during the summer of 2017.

 

The participants were invited to reflect on what social issues matter to them, brainstorm how to address these issues through multidisciplinary art, and collectively decide on and create a project utilizing at least three arts disciplines. The resulting projects are titled, “Redemption” at the California Institution for Men and “City without a Name” at the California Institution for Women. This site documents the planning, implementation, reflection, and final result of these projects. We hope that the work inspires you artistically, personally, and communally. In viewing this work and the artists’ process, we invite you to reconsider stereotypes about people in prison and reflect on the issue of mass incarceration in the United States with an open mind and empathy for individuals and communities. Thank you.