June 4 – August 6, 2023

Art Against The Odds: Wisconsin Prison Art features about 30 artists who turned to creative production to mitigate the de-humanizing conditions of incarceration. The exhibition is divided into six thematic sections that illustrate recurring subjects explored by these artists: Solitary confinement, landscapes, portraits, letter writing, scarcity of materials, and time. In addition, several cell-sized room installations will elucidate aspects of confinement. A 160-page catalog with essays and artist pages accompanies the show.

Initiated two years ago by Portrait Society Gallery of Contemporary Art in Milwaukee, WI, the exhibition will give voice and visibility to individuals currently held in the state’s carceral system as well as illustrate the potentially profound healing properties of an art practice. With virtually no instructional art programs offered in the prison system, these individuals teach themselves through various means, often working with a limited range of materials.