Ohio Prison Arts Connection

The Ohio Prison Arts Connection (OPAC) will host its second-annual statewide gathering this fall at the Wexner Center for the Arts. At this meeting, artists, teachers, community members, prison staff, restored citizens, people who work in the reentry context, and more will connect, learn from one another, and address crucial questions to move our efforts forward. The event will include strategic roundtable discussions, a panel, and a keynote conversation. Featured speakers include author Piper Kerman (Orange is the New Black), Warden Ronette Burkes of the Ohio Reformatory for Women, and artists Mark Crawford and Gwendolyn Garth.

OPAC is a coalition committed to building arts access and creating spaces to share stories, art, and resources both inside and outside of prisons. OPAC exists to promote the transformative power of art and increase access to arts engagement and experiences for all people engaged in the justice system. In order to serve incarcerated people, OPAC collaborates with corrections and court personnel, public officials, funders, artists, teachers, community supporters, and family members.

Project partners include the OPAC Steering Committee, the Ohio Arts Council, The Ohio State University Center for Ethics and Human Values, Otterbein University, and Healing Broken Circles. For questions about this program, please contact info@ohioprisonartsconnection.org.

Cosponsored by the Wexner Center for the Arts with funding support from the Ohio Arts Council.