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Giving a visual voice to
incarcerated artists

through engaging, community-centered exhibitions of their art.

Collection of logos from various organizations, including the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, Juvenile Sentencing Reform MN, University of Minnesota WAM, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minneapolis Foundation, and Saint Paul Star Program.

Artwork featuring abstract cracked and textured orange background with blue maze-like structures, white text highlighting an art exhibit titled "Spoken Heart" by Dao Xiong at Westminster Church in Minneapolis from April 19 to June 14, 2023.

NEW EXHIBIT

April 19 - June 14, 2026

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Avenue (the corner of Nicollet Mall and 12th Street in downtown Minneapolis)

Supported in part by a grant from the SPM Foundation.

This upcoming exhibit features artwork by artists who are currently incarcerated in Minnesota and is guided by the question: If your heart could speak, what would it say? Through visual art and storytelling, the exhibition offers deeply personal reflections on identity, love, loss, resilience, and hope within the confines of incarceration. By centering lived experience and emotional truth, the exhibit invites viewers to experience the art and reflect on the shared inner landscapes that connect us all.  


  • About

    Art from the Inside gives incarcerated artists the opportunity to express themselves through art—giving them a visual voice. We will be exhibiting their art with the hope to inspire dialogue about the complexities of our criminal justice system.

  • In the News

    NoLo Art Fair

    An art show in Minneapolis to benefit Art From the Inside. AFTI will have a booth; Jaik Elliott, Lennell Martin and Willard Malebear will be represented; plus many other AFTI-associated people selling their own art as well.

    Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5 … 4-8pm

    Itasca Event Gallery / 706 N. First Street, Minneapolis

    Holiday Market with Local Artists

  • Artists

    Featuring original work by artists on the inside and outside. Read about their stories, inspiration, and view their work.


“Art plays a ‘bigger than life’ role in my life. It continues to inspire me, as well as gives me a space to feel free and express who I am. In a place so dark, it gives me light.”

Noella May, AFTI artist