Mission Statement

 
 

Our History

 
 
 

Arts Inside uses art as a tool for expression, healing, and connection for incarcerated individuals and their families in rural middle Tennessee. While being mindful of systemic injustices, we aim to create spaces outside of and within correctional facilities for personal and communal healing through multidisciplinary arts and writing programming.

 

In 2017, Arts Inside was founded in a love for art and a belief in the importance of its accessibility, especially for those incarcerated in rural jails in our community of middle Tennessee. Since its founding, our organization has offered over one hundred creative programs in three county jails. Through long standing relationships with these facilities, Arts Inside is granted unique access into characteristically isolated places, allowing our volunteers to create spaces of healing and safety amidst environments often described as chaotic, stressful, and traumatizing.


By drawing on a robust local arts community, Arts Inside is able to offer a variety of programs aimed at interesting and engaging every individual. Regardless of the activity, our organization aims to use art as a tool for expression, healing, and connection amongst incarcerated individuals.

 

Our headquarters are located in Altamont, TN

Follow our recent work through Instagram.

 
From participant evaluations—why we do what we do 😊
“Arts Inside Out” is a monthly question-and-answer interview, featuring conversations about creativity with different community members. Our second Q&A features Pippa Browne, a Sewanee-based artist and Arts Inside instructor. Click th
Arts Inside is happy to be displaying art at the Maury County Public Library in Columbia, Tennessee! A big thanks to to Suzy Pruitt O’Daniel and Wendy Shelton at the South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance for making this possible
More neurographic art in a pod at the Maury County Jail
We are excited to announce we will be having a reception for our current art show at Stirling’s Coffee House in Sewanee, Tennessee. The show will feature work made by artists at the Grundy and Maury county jails. Food and drinks will be provide
Art class at the Maury County Jail in July. We were able to do neurographic art in two pods with more than 20 individuals
We are proud to have a hand in displaying work by Whitney Alexander, Brittany Shelton, Randa Clay, Sarandon Johnson and other artists at Stirling’s Coffee House in Sewanee during the month of August! The work seen in the show was made over seve
We have a blog! “Arts Inside Out” is a monthly question-and-answer interview, featuring conversations with currently and formerly incarcerated community members, as well as corrections workers, educators, and volunteers. Each subject will