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Dear Supporters, At Art from the Inside, our work is rooted in a simple but unwavering belief: every person holds inherent dignity, creativity, and worth. That belief does not end at prison walls, borders, or legal status. In moments like this, our mission compels us to speak clearly and to center the lived experiences of the artists and families most impacted by these systems. Why This Matters to Us - This Is Home This is not a distant issue for us. Minneapolis is where our artists live, where families gather, where children go to school, and where community is built day by day. The harm caused by aggressive and violent enforcement tactics reverberates through our neighborhoods, workplaces, and relationships. When fear spreads through our streets, when families are torn apart, and when lives are lost during federal operations, it affects all of us. Silence in these moments would be a failure of responsibility to the community we belong to and serve. Why This Moment Is Personal to Our Community One of our artists, Roberto Lopez Rios, embodies the human cost of the systems now under scrutiny. Born in Morelos, Mexico and raised in South Minneapolis from the age of four, Roberto grew up surrounded by violence and instability while holding tightly to a dream of creating something meaningful through art. At sixteen, his life took a tragic turn, and he spent 23 years incarcerated. During that time, art became both survival and resistance - his way of preserving his humanity in a place designed to erase it. In 2024, Roberto served his time and was finally released. But freedom was incomplete. Because of his immigration status, he was deported to Mexico - released from state prison custody and handed over to ICE - separated from his daughter, parents, friends, and community here in Minnesota. His story is not an abstraction. It is the lived reality of enforcement systems that fracture families, erase futures, and extract people from the communities they helped build. Roberto often describes art as “fossilizing emotions” leaving behind pieces of our consciousness so others might feel what we felt, even if they don’t fully understand it. This is why art matters in moments like this. It carries memory. It tells the truth. It insists on our shared humanity. Thank you for standing with us and with our artists at this moment. Your support has made it possible for artists like Roberto to rebuild their lives, share their truth, and inspire others through creativity and resilience. In solidarity and care, Antonio and Jessica and The Art from the Inside Team
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