Behind the Wall: Art and Writing from Prison

Nearly 2 million Americans live in jails, prisons, and detention centers, all but invisible to the rest of the world. This exhibit provides a glimpse into some of their lives, hearts, minds, and imaginations.

Organized by Story House Ithaca, “” is a traveling exhibition of drawings, paintings, letters, stories, and poems produced by people in prison. It includes 140 works by 90 incarcerated individuals from detention facilities in 22 states. There is a letter-writing station where visitors can send feedback directly to the participating artists.Behind the Wall

The artworks and writings in “Behind the Wall” have been collected by , a project of at Cornell, and curated by Newfield-based artist . Both Story House Ithaca and Prisoner Express are projects of the Ithaca-based nonprofit .Prisoner ExpressDurland Alternatives LibraryTreacy ZieglerCenter for Transformative Action

The exhibition will be on display in Cortland Free Library for the entire month of June. It spent February at the Tompkins County Public Library in Ithaca, March at Seymour Library in Auburn, April at Seneca Falls Library, and May at Coburn Free Library in Owego. 

“Behind the Wall” is supported by a grant from . Humanities New York