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'Free to Wonder' exhibit to feature work by Putnamville inmates
The Indiana University Prison Arts Initiative (IUPAI), in collaboration with Greencastle’s 10 Fold Projects galley, presents “Free to Wonder,” an exhibit of art work by student participants at Putnamville Correctional Facility.
Co-sponsored by the Greencastle Arts Council, the exhibition will open to the public on Jan. 19 and run through Feb. 24, with a reception to be held Saturday, Feb. 18 from 5-7 p.m. at the gallery space at 10 W. Washington St., Greencastle.
In keeping with the spirit of the show, both admission to the exhibit and the reception is free.
In fall 2022, IUPAI taught its first class in the Putnamville facility, “Drawing Your Story: The Fundamentals of Drawing and Illustration.” Over the course of the semester, a team of three former and current IU graduate instructors visited the facility, instructing a class of 20 students in basic visual art techniques, principles of creative writing and narrative and bookmaking.
For the final project, each student compiled a handmade book of the semester’s work and presented it to the class on the last day. In addition to the Greencastle exhibit, the artists will also participate in an exhibit inside the facility and a show of their work in Bloomington.
“As the work demonstrates, the creative, technical, and expressive ability of each student is extraordinary,” IUPAI program coordinator Oliver Nell, a graduate student in IU-Bloomington’s Arts Administration program, said. “Their commitment to improving—often far beyond what was expected of them—and the joy with which they worked speaks to the immense power, meaning and opportunity that comes with artmaking.”
“All of the students who elected to have their work photographed are included in this exhibition,” Zachary Kaufman, who photographed the participants for the display, added. “However, in accordance with the Indiana Department of Correction, we were not allowed to photograph students’ faces or credit their full names in the exhibition.”
In expressing his gratitude, artist William S. described how liberating participation in the program was to him: “It took me somewhere else, and I could forget about where I am for a while and get lost in creating.”
The Putnamville Correctional Facility has invited IUPAI back for another semester this spring. Officials hope it will be the first of many collaborations. Additional information about the exhibit can be obtained by visiting https://artsandhumanities.indiana.edu/cook-center/iupai/ or contacting 10foldprojectsgallery@gmail.com.