06/04/2026
Art from the Inside
Burton M. Cross Building | June 2 to October 30, 2026
The Maine Arts Commission is pleased to partner with the Maine Department of Corrections and the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition to present, for the first time at the State Capitol Complex, an exhibition featuring artwork created from inside the walls of Maine’s correctional facilities.
This collaboration is part of the Maine Arts Commission’s commitment to support creativity in all areas of the state through its Arts and Health initiatives. The Commission recognizes the healing power of the arts, and some residents in Maine’s correctional facilities are finding their way to hope and a form of mental freedom through creativity. As one resident states, “Art makes me feel calm and at peace.”
This exhibition displays images from the outside world that exist in residents’ memories, including loved ones, nature, spiritual paths, and literal and figurative barriers to autonomy. The work reflects a commitment to, and even a need for, personal expression, a birthright for all people that too often gets lost.
The Maine Arts Commission is grateful to all the staff and volunteers who make these arts programs possible. Maine Commissioner of Corrections Randall Liberty hopes that viewers “recognize that our residents have value, can substantially contribute and that they are not forgotten.”
As Joseph Jackson, Executive Director of the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, says, “Art, music, poetry, and film have the transformative power to promote empathy and change lives.” This happens every day in classrooms, community centers, libraries, city parks, hospitals, and veterans’ centers. And it happens in correctional facilities.
Arts in the Capitol
