Now in its second year, the Prison Art Program is an art therapy project held at the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women in Jessup, Maryland. Led and curated by Casey McKeel, the program collaborates with Notre Dame University of Maryland students, faculty, and staff. Each exhibition at Gormley Gallery at NDMU consists of artwork created by incarcerated people at MCIW, during a series of workshops led by volunteers. Eventually, McKeel hopes to have the artwork on display inside of MCIW.
This year’s exhibition included artwork created during a series of six workshops.
“Each artwork is a visual expression of the hope, strength, transformation, and dreams of individuals impacted by incarceration,” McKeel told Baltimore Beat. Workshops were in an open studio format where local artists, art therapy instructors, and volunteers from NDMU students co-facilitated sessions using various techniques, like painting and collage.
In 2022, The Prison Art Program held four workshops, and in 2023 they held six workshops and created even more artwork, which means even more of a benefit to incarcerated people. This year, McKeel hopes to have 10 workshops, but because of a lack of funding and volunteer support, that might not be possible. The Prison Art Program is in danger of being suspended due to a lack of funding.
The program is entirely volunteer-run and donation-based, and without financial support it cannot continue. All of the supplies utilized in the workshop have been purchased through donations.
The Prison Art Program exhibition opened on January 22 at Gormley Gallery at NDMU and will close on March 1, 2024.
McKeel says the program needs to raise $2,500 to continue. She is currently raising money via a GoFundMe campaign. Some of the funds raised will go towards mailing artwork on display to the artists’ families since it cannot be returned to them in prison. (Teri Henderson)
Artwork made by people incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women as part of the Prison Art Program. Led and curated by Casey McKeel, the Prison Art Program is a collaboration with Notre Dame University of Maryland (NDMU) students, faculty, and staff.
