Arts-in-corrections program exhibits artwork at the Weisser Gallery

Silver Spring, April 23, 2012: Project Youth ArtReach (PYA), a program of Class Acts Arts that brings art programs to youth in correctional settings in Maryland, is partnering with Weisser Gallery and Glass Studio to exhibit artwork made during residencies by inmates at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF) in Clarksburg, MD. The exhibition, titled “In Our Hands,” opens on May 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Weisser Gallery, and will be on display through June 13th, 2012.

Nancy Weisser, of Weisser Glass Studios and Gallery, is generously providing the gallery space to share the work created inside the county jail under the guidance of PYA professional artists, Carien Quiroga and Peter Krsko. MCCF inmates from the women’s unit and the young men’s unit learned skills in art-making, problem-solving and team building over the course of several weeks between February and April, 2012. Sculpting with plaster and using a variety of drawing techniques, women crafted personal art pieces, each one making a statement about what it means to be accepting of their lives, their future, and all that is “in our hands.” Also featured in the exhibit are stenciled paintings made by young men at MCCF during mural arts workshops with artist Peter Krsko. These paintings are representative of a larger mural created by the young men using some of the same stencils. As with all PYA programs at the county jail and other detention centers, artists teach new skills, raise self-esteem, and encourage participants to reflect on issues of choice, accountability, and constructive means of moving forward in life.