Wynne Home Arts Center: Prison Art Show

The Wynne Home Arts Center is one of our favorite places, and last Saturday we helped with the opening of the Center’s Prison Art Exhibit.

Deanna and Hellieth

The exhibit features well-known prison artists such as Frank Jones and Henry Clark and includes works that are diverse, disturbing, and inventive.

Art–From Matchsticks

Approximately 70 people attended the event to see the works and to hear remarks by Linda Pease, Molly Campbell, and others.

Linda Pease and Molly Campbell

For many, it was their first time in the Wynne Home, and they enjoyed the added teat of a tour of the historic structure—from the bedrooms that have been transformed into City offices, to the art classrooms, to the dining room, to the second-floor galleries, the guests seemed to enjoy it.

Hellieth and Jessica

The real treat, however, was the Brown-Wynne Gallery, which housed the prison art.

Various Works, Brown-Wynne Art Gallery

The most inventive piece was a chess set made of soap…

Chess Set–COs v. Inmates–Made From Soap

…although an elaborate wooden clock was also in the competition…

…as were several pieces made of matchsticks.

Church Made From Matchsticks

Religious symbols and time were common themes in the art, and there was a surprising diversity of color—from black and white pieces, to the red and blue works of Frank Jones, to other canvasses bursting with color.

For our part, we enjoyed the art, but also tended to our responsibility of providing and serving the food–the Junior Fellows wear many hats. The spread involved sandwiches, finger food, fruits…

…punch…

…and wine.

Of course, the reception was also just a good excuse to converse…

Jessica and Hellieth

…and the crowd soon broke up into smaller groups and talked about the art, local happenings, future happenings, and some even purchased art work from the smaller Wynne Home art gallery, where work from local artists is sold.

Some just listened to the music of Mike Pugh…