By Briana Mitchell, Program Communications Officer

The Michigan Justice Fund (MJF), in partnership with the Prison for Creative Arts Project (PCAP), was proud to support the opening of the Beyond Survival exhibition this spring. Beyond Survival: Works on Paper by Artists Incarcerated in Michigan, on exhibition at the Flint Institute of Arts, is a collective statement of resistance to erasure and dehumanization featuring artworks by directly impacted artists to expose the harsh realities of incarceration and imagine life beyond prison. The exhibition features work created over the span of 27 years by directly impacted artists.

MJF recently hosted an evening reception and artist workshop honoring the Beyond Survival exhibition. The reception was held on Aug. 14 at the Flint Institute of Arts. The evening started with a panel discussion moderated by Janie Paul, co-founder of PCAP, and featured artists in the exhibition. After the panel, guests were encouraged to view the exhibit and partake in mingling, bites and beverages.

Following the reception on Aug. 16, the museum hosted We Draw The Lines, an art-making workshop led by Beyond Survival artists Martín Vargas and Duane Montney. Participants were guided through prompts, demonstrations and personal stories sharing how art can become a way to survive, to feel and to be seen.

“We see art as a way to shift narratives and perspectives surrounding mass incarceration and the injustice of the prison system,” Michigan Justice Fund Director Ashley Carter says. “The exhibition was curated to uplift the experiences of those navigating the harsh realities of punitive detention. The exhibition is an invitation to embrace the notion that transportation is within our collective reach.”

Over the past three years, MJF has collaborated with PCAP to bring exhibitions and events to the community that highlight the work of incarcerated artists. In 2023, the Free Your Mind exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit was the first art show that honored MJF partners, criminal legal reform advocates and incarcerated artists. Since then, MJF has also supported the Breaking Down Walls exhibition for the Detroit Month of Design in September 2024.

The Beyond Survival exhibition will close on Sept.14. We encourage you to visit the exhibition website to plan your visit.