Art from Behind Bars: Inmate-Created Art Sold to Benefit Advocacy Group

Works of art created by incarcerated people in Missouri during pandemic lockdowns will be displayed and sold June 30 to benefit a local advocacy group that supports families impacted by incarceration.

Mothers of Incarcerated Sons and Daughters (MISD), a nonprofit prison ministry, is hosting the art show at its Family & Friends Day celebration on June 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Community Fellowship Church of Jesus Christ, 3838 Cleaver II Blvd., KCMO. 

Inmates from correctional facilities across Missouri gifted MISD with artwork. The group received 180 works of art, of which around 75 will be sold at the event. 

“It was therapeutic for the inmates to have something that made their creativity and their artwork feel appreciated,” says Beverly Livingston, MISD’s founder and chief advocate. “Plus, they knew that their original works would benefit us by being a charitable donation.”

With limited art supplies permitted behind bars, inmates got creative using materials available to them, like legal file folders, paper, popsicle sticks, and briefs to make their pieces. The resulting works span a variety of media and themes — from portraits, cartoons, and classic cars to abstract designs.

“It is beautiful art,” says Livingston. “The artwork deserves a home and people that can appreciate it.”

Livingston had an appraiser from the Kansas City Art Institute value the works of art, and the pieces are set to sell for as low as $5 all the way up to $700. 

Proceeds from the art show will benefit MISD’s efforts to support incarcerated individuals and their families. This includes individual and family empowerment, legislative advocacy to reduce harsh sentencing, providing resources for self-advocacy, and addressing issues like the school-to-prison pipeline.

“If you talk with people who have loved ones incarcerated, to a certain extent, it’s like they’re incarcerated with them,” says Janay Reliford, co-founder of MISD. “It is a very draining experience for the entire family, and MISD supports those families.”

Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration, comprising 13% of the U.S. population but 37% of the total prison population, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. MISD aims to empower and guide families navigating the criminal justice system.

“Being a mother who had a son who was dealing with the court system, I thought, we need an advocacy support group for these mothers because they’re dealing with a very traumatic matter,” says Livingston. 

Livingston says MISD started informally as a brown bag lunch information session through the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime in the mid-2000s. She says dozens showed up just to learn how to deal with the incarceration system.

“I was like, oh my goodness, this must be something that’s really needed and wanted. So it grew from there,” says Livingston.

Now nearing two decades, MISD has evolved into providing legislative advocacy, self-help resources, juvenile justice reform efforts, and creative outlets like the inmate art show. The group partnered with national organizations like the Debt Free Justice Campaign to combat issues such as court fines and fees that disproportionately criminalize poverty.

In addition to the art show from 2 to 5 p.m., the MISD Family & Friends Day program will feature as guest speaker the Rev. Thomas “TJ” James at 3 p.m. James is the associate minister at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church and a community organizer for MORE2, a local nonprofit aiming for racial and economic justice. 

“We’re trying to enlighten the community on how we can take control of our families and our community, stop the violence, and work to be a lot safer,” says Livingston. “The program is designed for both the churched and the unchurched.” 

For more info or to view the art up for sale, visit MISDKC.org.

MISD Art Show at Friends & Family Day

Community Fellowship Church of Jesus Christ

3838 Cleaver II Blvd, KCMO
Sunday, June 30

2 to 5 p.m.