P.A.I.N.T. CLASSES AT THE COUNTY JAIL

ART EXPLORATION CLASSES for inmates

P.A.I.N.T. (Program for Arts Integration for New Teachers) internships offer a range of teaching experiences to university students desiring diverse classroom experiences with students.

The Dunn County Jail has been a partner to A.I.M. since the beginning of the P.A.I.N.T. internship program, welcoming pre-service teachers to instruct inmates in visual arts classes. In turn, P.A.I.N.T. interns offer inmates at the jail a momentary experience of being creative rather than being punished.

ART IN JAIL

P.A.I.N.T.’s “Art in Jail” internship provides visual arts classes to prisoners who want to express their creativity. By providing a means of artistic growth and expression, art classes foster creativity, skill development, encouragement, and inspiration among inmates.

More than any other internship program, “Art in Jail” helps our emerging teachers realize that 1) art is a healthy outlet for people to express themselves, and 2) teachers can make a difference in the lives of others. Pre-service teacher interns witness the impact that the arts can have on one’s attitude, behavior, motivation, confidence, and self-worth.

P.A.I.N.T. interns recognize their students as more than criminals— They are people's family members and loved ones. They can change for the better. They can hope for a better future. They have skills and talents which may even lead them to a profession in the arts.

GALLERY OF INMATE ART

We recognize the artists below for the artwork they created in jail. This gallery includes an expression of individual personalities with a variety of styles and imagery. Their art speaks for them.

(Images shared below with permission of the artists.)

A.I.M. by “I-Am-E” — *A.I.M.* by “I-Am-E”

““We artists are indestructible; even in a prison, or in a concentration camp, I would be almighty in my own world of art, even if I had to paint my pictures with my wet tongue on the dusty floor of my cell.” ”

— Pablo Picasso

““All I had to do is look inside my mind and be creative. I can open my eyes and see beauty and colors. “”

— Inmate Artist

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