A Glimpse Inside: Art Produced in Iowa Prisons

The artworks included in "A Glimpse Inside" were produced inside the Iowa Prison system, at various locations. Artists make use of mostly improvised materials to produce art that may be purely for self-expression, or possibly for personal income, such as greeting cards and commissioned portraits. All income earned in prison, whether privately or from official wages, is meager. Art is sometimes produced for cash and at other times for "prison money."

The collector, Doren L. Walker, was encouraged by retired attorney Vicki Rush to share his own art and art he has collected from incarcerated persons over the last fifteen years. His hope is that each artist will be seen as a person, making it easier for them to rejoin Iowa communities and find good jobs and suitable housing. Mr. Walker has been aided by support from Inside Out Reentry Community and Kathrina Litchfield, of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights. Jordan Sellergren, Art Director at Little Village, set up the exhibition at the magazine's headquarters in Iowa City. This has been a truly communal effort!

Inside Out Reentry Community website

RON HAUGHT
Motorcycle with Rider and Brother, Prism colored pencils on paper, 18" x 24", 2006

From Doren L. Walker, collector: "This is a treasured piece for me, as it is a portrait of me and of my brother, drawn from two photographs I supplied to the artist. I commissioned this after my brother's death so that we could ride together, forever, through this image. I chose Mr. Haught because he has a true passion for his art. This shows in the detail of the work such as the braided lines on the motor. It was produced at Oakdale in 2006."