Prison Arts Collective

PAC is excited to share that our founder, SDSU Professor Annie Buckley, was invited by the CA Arts Council to form a powerhouse team of SDSU faculty Dr. Kim Kras and PAC board members Dr. Brian Heisterkamp, Ginny Oshiro and Cait Ahearn to lead a new capacity building project for Arts in Corrections (AiC) across California. This new project launched with AiC providers from across the state gathering in Sacramento in July 2026. Over two inspiring days, the 2026 AiC Convening brought together artists, researchers, funders, and advocates to strengthen arts programming across California.

Day 1 began with welcome and opening remarks by CAC, followed by an AiC preliminary impact report presentation from San Diego State University with CSU San Bernardino. Land Together led a guided relaxation/body-awareness exercise before a panel discussion on arts and wellbeing featuring Dr. Larry Brewster, faculty emerita from USF, Dr. Jill Sonke of the University of Florida and Stanford, and PAC alumnus Mark Taylor. The groups took part in a Growing Hope “paint a pot” workshop. The day ended with a collective reflection circle and a closing drum call led by Healing Rhythms.

Day 2 started with TheatreWorkers Project physical theater warm-ups and a session on trust led by AIC photographer Peter Merts. Participants then join a co-design capacity-building training on integrating the arts in corrections, followed by a panel on building partnerships with funders. The day concluded with a creative writing workshop, a networking break, and closing reflections.

Thank you to the California Arts Council for your trust and support in bringing Arts in Corrections providers together from across the state. A big shout out to our convening coordinator (and former PAC teaching artist) Jennifer Montenegro and PAC teaching artist Kate Kesner for support. Thank you to the California Endowment for hosting us in a beautiful space. And a huge thank you to our colleagues across the state and all the programs who joined us to build lasting collaboration.

Opening Reception of Inside Stories, an exhibition presented by Prison Arts Collective (PAC) in collaboration with the Scarab Creative Arts in Fresno, California took place on June 4th.

This exhibition of original artwork by incarcerated artists from Central California Women's Facility and Avenal State Prison takes inspiration from the visual style of comic books. The works included in this exhibition hold expansive narratives shaped by memory, imagination, and the lived experience of the artists, making them vital documents within the institutions and outside of them as a record of each of their humor, resilience, and creativity.

The reception included an artist talk by Martin Townsend, who mentored the artists featured in the exhibition.

Thank you to those who joined us for this evening celebrating PAC Peer Facilitators and participants.

In January of this year, PAC hosted the art exhibition “Creating Community,” on three yards at Ironwood State Prison in January 2026. In “Creating Community,” Peer Facilitators and participants reimagined the gymnasium as a gallery, inviting the general population and CDCR staff to honor and celebrate. The featured artworks were created through PAC’s multidisciplinary arts classes, led by Peer Facilitators who complete PAC’s 60-hour Arts Facilitator Training.

Arts in Corrections, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the California Arts Council: thank you for your support of this project. ⭐️

Photos by .

PAC artwork highlight 🎨

Happy Juneteenth! Featuring artwork by an anonymous PAC student at the California Institute for Women (2016), titled “Black Lives Matter.”

The International Journal for Creativity has released its first issue, which includes an opening essay, "Art as Connector," to which PAC Founding Director Annie Buckley was invited to contribute, and features information about PAC. The journal is now accepting submissions for future issues and encourages those who are interested to submit. See the graphic for details!

To our students in prison who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community: You are seen, valued, and never alone. We stand with you.

Please join us next week June 4 at 5PM with in Fresno for the Opening Reception for Prison Arts Collective's "Inside Stories" Exhibition. With the goal of promoting awareness of art as a human right and artistic expression as a bridge between communities, the artworks in this exhibition were created by artists in PAC classes at Central California Women's Facility (CCWF) and Avenal State Prison (ASP), taking inspiration in the visual style of comic books. These classes were led by incarcerated artists in PAC’s Arts Facilitator Training Program, an intensive leadership training that prepares these artists to lead multidisciplinary arts classes as Peer Facilitators.

PAC's dedicated Exhibitions Assistant, Carlo, recently updated the art archive with works from recent years. Above is a piece created last year by a Prison Arts Collective student at the California Institution for Women. 🎨🖌