Detroit – A thought-provoking exhibition of artwork created by formerly incarcerated artists and their mentors will open in the Focus: HOPE Gallery with a reception on Nov. 9, 2007.

Presented by the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) in partnership with Focus: HOPE, the exhibit is entitled Are We Community: A Linkage Exhibition of Art II and will run through Dec. 19, 2007.  The opening reception is open to the public from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Gallery, 1400 Oakman Boulevard, Detroit.

Featured artists are participants in PCAP’s Linkage Project, a program which links formerly incarcerated artists and writers with arts mentors in their community. Mentors help support returning artists as they make the transition back into the community, while working with them to develop their artistic mediums. This year’s unique exhibition will include more than 75 works of art, shedding light on the talents of formerly incarcerated citizens and encouraging the public to think about the challenges facing individuals once they are released from prison.

Free and open to the public, the exhibition raises awareness and inspires dialogue between the formerly incarcerated and the community at large. At the opening reception, the artists will speak about PCAP’s Linkage Project.

The reception includes live performances by previously incarcerated spoken word artists and the screening of a new documentary film by Katherine Weider entitled, “Acts of Art: The Prison Creative Arts Project.”

Despite the intense challenges and limitations formerly incarcerated citizens face in Michigan, including a lack of employment opportunities, healthcare, and transportation, and limited community resources for assistance and treatment, exhibition artists continue to create work in a rich range of styles, mediums, and themes.  

The Focus: HOPE Gallery is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday –Friday and by appointment. Contact Annette Vanover, Focus: HOPE Community Arts Manager, at 313-494-4376 for tour information.