On the Road this Summer with the Mobile Art Gallery

The Mobile Art Gallery, a program of ArtReach St. Croix, will travel throughout the St. Croix Valley this summer and into the fall, bringing a collaborative exhibition with the Stillwater Prison Education Department entitled, “Artwork, once captive has gone free”.

Featuring 6-word memoirs and visual artwork from incarcerated persons, “Artwork, once captive has gone free,” highlights the importance of the arts in restorative justice and education. This is the second exhibition collaborating with the prison, but the first time taking it on the road.

The artwork is anonymized and produced through a minimum yearlong art program that teaches not only principles of art, but also art history and technical skills through mediums such as graphite, watercolor, and acrylic paint. The 6-word memoirs that will cover the side wall of the Mobile Gallery are also created by inmates through the literary arts program. In addition to the mobile gallery, there will also be a public lecture, “Is Art Enough to Free Us,” July 24 th at 6pm at the Stillwater Public Library with former inmate, Zeke Caligiuri. An award winning author and advocate for creative spaces in prisons, Caligiuri will discuss his book, “This is where I am,” alongside his editor, Erik Anderson.

Developed in 2016, the Mobile Art Gallery exhibitions change from year to year, but its purpose remains the same: to engage people with an unexpected arts experience in an unexpected place and to expand people’s curiosity about artistic resources and opportunities in the region.

An Opening Reception will take place at ArtReach St. Croix (224 N. 4th Street, Stillwater) on Thursday, July 11 th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This reception is free and open to the public.

Find the Mobile Art Gallery and Artwork, once captive gone free at:
Afton State Park– July 12-14
Lumberjack Days – July 19-21
ArtReach St. Croix- July 24*
Willow River State Park – July 26-28
Franconia Sculpture Park – August 9-11
Walker Art Center – August 17-18

Visit artreachstcroix.org to learn more about this exhibition and the Mobile Art Gallery, and to see specific times and information about “Is art enough to free us,” Lecture talk  Artwork, once captive gone free and the 2024 season of the Mobile Art Gallery is supported by St. Croix Foundation, RBC Foundation, and special thanks to Stillwater Collison for loaning ArtReach St. Croix a truck for the 2024 season.