MANSFIELD — The Ohio State Reformatory is hosting a pop up art gallery this weekend in collaboration with two local prisons.
The show features paintings, drawings, jewelry and other items made by people incarcerated at Richland Correctional Institution and Mansfield Correctional Institution.
Chris Swanson, recreation director at RiCI, said the art show had been an annual tradition for seven or eight years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Swanson worked with colleague Joe Seals and their counterparts at MANCI, Ashley Shaw and Sgt. Ruby Waltz, to bring the show back.
“It’s something for the inmates to do that they enjoy,” said Shaw, a recreation therapist. “Hopefully, next year we’re going to set it up again and get more prisons to come and put it on a bigger display.”
Staff from the two institutions estimated that between 35 and 45 artists contributed to the show. While they aren’t able to attend the show, they do get the proceeds for any work that sells.
Corrections staff said artists can choose to put the money they earn “on the books” for use at the commissary, set it aside for when they are released, send it home to their families or even donate it.
One artist crocheted teddy bears to be sold for donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Shaw said artists have been preparing works for the show for about 40 days, but will have more lead time next year.
For her, the best part of watching them prepare has been seeing some of them discover their artistic side.
“Some of these inmates didn’t even know they could paint or had the talent,” Shaw said. “Then they just started and it turned into something like that.”
The officers said they believe art has therapeutic benefits and can give people who are incarcerated a chance to create something and take pride in it.
“I have no doubt that upon our return, they’ll ask us, What did people think? Not how much money did I make?” Seals said.
“Or what was their favorite?” Shaw added.
Seals nodded in agreement.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “They will want bragging rights.”
The art show runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitors must purchase a ticket to enter OSR, but there is no additional charge to visit the gallery. Art can be purchased with cash only.