The {Ink}arcerated: Creativity Within Confinement art exhibition returns to the Arizona Center on May 15, featuring 365 new paintings, drawings, and sculptures created by incarcerated individuals. Managed by doctoral students Alexis Klemm and Madeline Boersma from ASU's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the program involves distributing art supplies to 17 correctional facilities across Arizona, including a youth facility for the first time, and curating the completed works into a polished exhibition with museum lighting and display walls.
The exhibition matters because it provides a platform for incarcerated artists to express themselves while supporting the Center for Correctional Solutions Scholarship, which funds higher education for system-impacted individuals and their families. Launched in 2017, the program highlights the transformative power of art within the justice system, with proceeds from sales directly funding educational opportunities, and this year's theme of American pride coincides with the nation's 250th anniversary.