Happy Holidays from Ohio Prison Arts Connection!

Each month, our newsletter features stories from people who have seen the impact that the arts can have inside and outside prisons. This December, we are featuring some writing from Annette Dominguez, who directs Tapestry programming at Ohio Reformatory for Women.

The arts have been an important part of Tapestry for more than a decade.  We have developed connections with talented artists across Central Ohio who have a desire to work with our creative community. As our community relationships have flourished so too have our unique experiences. I have been extremely fortunate to witness many of those experiences and see the positive impact they make on our member's lives. From watching the first genuine smile on a women's face since suffering a tragic loss as she watched professional tap dancers for the first time in her life, to seeing the tears well in the eyes of our Warden when the community presented her with a Tapestry Family Tree portrait for her new office. These are the moments that are remembered and cherished by all involved.

Earlier this month our community enjoyed another incredible celebration of art, courage and accomplishment. On Thursday December 12, 23 members of the Tapestry program were permitted to leave the Ohio Reformatory for Women in order to sing at the Harmony Project's concert at Nationwide Arena. The women were tasked with opening the show, not something they knew until shortly before their performance. During the sound check the ladies also learned that their usual conductor David Brown would not be leading their choir, but rather, I would, for the first time ever. Naturally, they were excited and a little nervous about their novice conductor. I on the other hand was in a veneered panic. I was focused on making sure I didn't let the ladies down by missing a cue or fumbling the words. As the women took the stage and I trailed behind, you could feel the audience respond and begin to quiet down for whatever was about to happen.  As we stood there waiting for the music to start we all took in the moment. The women realized they were about to sing for a sell out crowd of over eight thousand and they knew they didn't only represent themselves or Tapestry or even ORW, they knew they were representing every incarcerated woman and they were ready. They were confident, courageous and full of hope. They had a mission to not just sing, but, to help open minds and maybe hearts as well. They were about to dispel myths and perhaps prove some wrong regarding who they are and what they are capable of doing in this world. They looked beautiful and more importantly, they felt beautiful, they kind of beauty that radiates from feeling self-empowered and strong. Individually and as a community. 

When I raised my arms to begin, they took over. They used their voices and soared around the space. They were brave and brilliant and didn't miss a note or a word. They used every second of their two minutes to make an impact and raise awareness and they did it through song.  By expressing themselves creatively they left many in tears and many more thinking or re-thinking. It was obvious to me within seconds of taking the stage that they didn't need me to lead them, they were ready to lead themselves.  

-Annette Dominguez

Save the Date! 

Ohio Prison Arts Connection Statewide Gathering 

April 3, 2020 | Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus

Artists, prison staff, returning citizens, re-entry professionals, social service providers, people in higher education, interested community members from all over the state - all are welcome to join us for a one-day gathering that will feature art engagement opportunities, focus group meetings on trauma-informed art practice and the arts and re-entry, a panel on the role of the arts in promoting wellness, and more. Watch this newsletter and this website for more details, and an opportunity to register, in January.

Opportunity for incarcerated writers working in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry

Columbia Incarcerated Writer's Initiative

For those who work with incarcerated writers: please help to pass along this contest and publication opportunity. Here is a link to the full call for participation, which includes a form that should accompany any submission.

As part of the Columbia Writing Program’s commitment to bring underrepresented voices into
the public sphere the Incarcerated Writers’ Initiative (formerly a division of the Columbia Journal), would like to extend a special invitation to incarcerated writers to submit their writing.
Writers may submit work by mail at no fee.
Submissions open September 1st, and close January 14th, 2020.
The contest accepts submissions in the following categories:
Fiction (up to 5,000 words)
Nonfiction (up to 5,000 words)
Poetry (up to 5 pages)
All submissions are eligible for general print and online publication in the Columbia Journal,
and may be entered into the journal’s Winter Contest. Submitted works are also eligible for
publication in Exchange, a literary magazine published through Columbia Artists/Teachers that
features work exclusively from incarcerated artists. Both printed publications will be released in
Spring 2020.

Writers should send physical copies of their work, accompanied by the form you can find here, to:

Nathaniel Berry - Coordinator

Incarcerated Writers Initiative Columbia Artists/Teachers
415 Dodge Hall
Mail Code 1804

2960 Broadway New York, NY 10027

Check out Ohio Prison Art Connection's website!

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And - help us improve our information. We aim to represent all programs, arts experiences, and events both inside and outside prisons at the intersection of the arts and the justice system. Know something about an arts and culture program that engages people involved in the justice system? Have information about an upcoming event (open to the public or not)? Have a great story to share, or an idea? Tell us about it!

The photo in the header was taken at the studio space for the Returning Artists Guild, a collective of Ohio artists who are dedicated to  supporting artists who are impacted by the justice system and building spaces for artists to connect, share their work, and find audiences.

The quotation in this email's subject line is from a participant in Oberlin Drama at Grafton, which until recently was led by Phyllis Gorfain. In the new year, the theatre program will be headed by members of the Theatre Department at Baldwin Wallace University.