Located in the Lester P. Monts Gallery of the Detroit Center, the Selected Works from the 22nd Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners includes a guest reading on Saturday, May 20 from"Concertina MAZE: Michigan Review of Prisoner Creative Writing, Volume 9."

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The first Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners was held in the University of Michigan Rackham Galleries in February 1996. Seventy works by 50 artists from 16 Michigan prisons were exhibited that year. This year, the exhibition’s 22nd consecutive year, we displayed 550 works of art by 450 artists on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan. We encourage you to have conversations with the artists by reading the artist statements

HOW THE SHOW COMES TOGETHER

Each year, the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) submits a formal request to the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to hold the exhibition. Once the exhibit is approved, we send a call for submissions directly to artists and to staff at each of Michigan’s 28 prisons. Artists work independently, using supplies they have purchased themselves, to create their work. Art selection teams made up of Curators, Staff, Students, and Volunteers travel to each prison to meet with artists, select work and provide feedback and support to artists regardless of whether their work is selected. Our goal is to be inclusive while maintaining a high level of quality and diverse work.

Most work is for sale at our exhibition in Ann Arbor and artists receive the full amount, less any mandatory fees and taxes. PCAP does not take a percentage of sales. You can purchase artwork at the gallery desk. A red dot on the label indicates a work has been sold.

A team of judges has recognized several works with awards. These are the works you see at this exhibition here at the University of Michigan Detroit Center. A distinct set of awards are given to artists at the women’s prison. These pieces are not for sale at this exhibition.

After the exhibition, the unsold artwork is shipped to a contact person specified by the artist. Once artwork has left the facilities, it cannot return inside. PCAP sends each artist a packet of exhibit promotional materials, notification of any sales, a certificate, and a copy of the guest book. Each facility receives a DVD of the opening reception and a slideshow of each piece of artwork so that artists can see the exhibit.