‘Beyond Survival’ exhibit at FIA features artwork by incarcerated artists in Michigan

FLINT, Michigan — A powerful new exhibition at the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) is giving voice to artists whose work is rarely seen beyond prison walls. 'Beyond Survival: Works on Paper by Artists Incarcerated in Michigan' opened on Friday, May 30, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 14, in the FIA’s Graphics Gallery.

Serving as both creative expression and acts of survival, the pieces reflect deep emotional insight, personal transformation, and a drive to connect with the outside world and beyond.

Presented in partnership with the Michigan Justice Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), the exhibition features drawings, paintings, and sculptures made with simple and limited materials, offering a rare glimpse into the humanity and imagination of individuals living behind bars.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with roughly 33,000 people currently incarcerated in Michigan alone. 'Beyond Survival' draws from a body of work curated over the last 27 years as part of PCAP’s Annual Exhibitions of Artists in Michigan Prisons.

The Flint exhibition was curated by Janie Paul, who is co-founder of the PCAP exhibitions and the Michigan Justice Fund team, in collaboration with the FIA.
Courtesy photo | FIAJanie Paul.
“The work in this exhibit is important for what it reveals about the humanity and talent of incarcerated people; and that ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances can become artists; can mobilize artistic capacities for expanding and strengthening their lives,” said Paul.

Paul is also the author of Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance, which is available for purchase in the FIA Museum Shop.

Ashley Carter, Director of the Michigan Justice Fund, stated that the exhibition presents a vital opportunity to reframe the public's understanding of incarceration and justice.

“The 'Beyond Survival' exhibition allows us to confront the realities of an over-relied upon criminal legal system while dreaming of the more equitable and just world we believe is possible beyond jails and prisons,” said Carter.

Sarah Kohn, Director and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the FIA, expressed the museum’s enthusiasm in helping to bring the exhibit to Flint. “It was a wonderful opportunity to work on an exhibition as unique and substantive as 'Beyond Survival,'” said Kohn.

“We are pleased and excited to help bring this exhibition to life, and to share in its presentation with our partners at the Michigan Justice Fund and the Prison Creative Arts Project.”

The FIA is open seven days a week, with free admission daily for Genesee County residents through the Genesee County Arts, Education, and Cultural Enrichment Millage. Admission is free for all visitors on Saturdays, courtesy of Huntington Bank. To learn more about the exhibition and the FIA’s programming, visit: flintarts.org.