Free Your Mind: Art and Incarceration in Michigan

Making art can be a transformative experience. It helps us to confront and address some of the most pressing issues of our time. Art has the power to shift the way we see and understand the world around us, and the worlds within us. Free Your Mind: Art and Incarceration in Michigan invites us to consider these qualities of art, while also grappling with the carceral system and the many ways it affects the lives of all of us.

Currently there are approximately 2.2 million people incarcerated in the United States, and in Michigan, there are roughly 33,000 residents currently serving time in the prison system. Working together with a coalition of more than a dozen organizations and Michigan State University units and departments, Free Your Mind explores the inner worlds of incarcerated individuals and the fundamental issues that shape conversations around incarceration today. The exhibition centers on four key topics of inquiry: Michigan’s length of sentencing and overcrowding in prisons; the impact of incarceration on women; youth incarceration; and the dangers of COVID-19.

The exhibition features artists, poets, and storytellers of great achievement. The majority of these artists are either currently or formerly incarcerated. Their works on view invite us to consider the role art-making plays in prisons as a liberating force, and offer unique perspectives on the experience of incarceration. The works also invite us to approach the subject of incarceration with an open mind. Free Your Mind aims to cultivate a greater sense of empathy for those directly impacted by incarceration and an understanding that their growth as individuals is linked to the greater health of the society we all live in, together.

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The catalog contains 89 projects related to 'Business and Industrial Development'. Click to view them. Business and Industrial Development 89
The catalog contains 221 projects related to 'Community and Economic Development'. Click to view them. Community and Economic Development 221
The catalog contains 130 projects related to 'Cultural Institutions and Programs'. Click to view them. Cultural Institutions and Programs 130
The catalog contains 316 projects related to 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'. Click to view them. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 316
The catalog contains 115 projects related to 'Governance and Public Policy'. Click to view them. Governance and Public Policy 115
The catalog contains 217 projects related to 'Health and Health Care'. Click to view them. Health and Health Care 217
The catalog contains 205 projects related to 'Children, Youth, and Family (non-school related)'. Click to view them. Children, Youth, and Family (non-school related) 205
The catalog contains 60 projects related to 'Public Safety, Security, and Corrections'. Click to view them. Public Safety, Security, and Corrections 60
The catalog contains 6 projects by faculty in Provost and Academic Affairs. Click to view them. Provost and Academic Affairs 6

Project Contact:

Steven Bridges
MSU Broad Art Museum
Provost and Academic Affairs
sbridges@msu.edu

Partners

Detroit Justice Center
PCAP at U of M
American Frieds Service Committee (AFSC)
Safe and Just Michigan
Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC)
Youth Justice Fund
Detroit Justice Center, PCAP at U of M, Citizens for Prison Reform, Youth Arts Alliance, AFSC, Campaign for Youth Justice, Safe and Just Michigan, Zealous, MDOC, Open MI Door Campaign, Youth Justice Fund

Report of calendar year 2021 activity.