Letters from Prison: Continuing the Conversation

2025 Call for letters from prison, as well as archived letters from the CPA Art Collection

March 13 to May 18, 2025

In 1995, Community in Action Partners Prison Arts Program (CPA) sponsored the first exhibition of letters from Connecticut prisons. In 2005, the Clare Gallery and CPA co-sponsored the Letters from Prison exhibition. This exhibition honored the powerful works by people, artists, presently incarcerated, living in Connecticut’s correctional facilities. Letters to family and friends, open letters to the community, along with stunning artwork the prisoners drew on the letters’ envelopes, were on display. The works were often quite intricate and thought-provoking. For the 2005 exhibition, half the letters were from the 2005 call and the other half from 1995.

This upcoming exhibition, Letters from Prison: Continuing the Conversation, will include new letters from this year’s call—highlighting the ideas of “Mystery, Mysticism, and Meaning”—along with curated letters from 1995 and 2005. The combination of letters will continue the conversation of self examination and self-esteem bringing the talent and creativity of the prison population to the community at large.