Prison Arts Collective

Prison Arts Collective PAC expands access to the transformative power of the arts by providing arts programming in prisons.

Folsom State Prison’s Rising Actors Theatre Troupe’s held their first peer lead play! Our Program Assistant Tatiana trav...
09/02/2026

Folsom State Prison’s Rising Actors Theatre Troupe’s held their first peer lead play!

Our Program Assistant Tatiana traveled to Folsom to join the audience and had wonderful thoughts to share: "It was clear that the group has established community and have formed a self described brotherhood in an environment that limits such. They crafted a play that combines individual stories into a narrative that all can relate to, with the message of the tree of life and going back to our roots, and remaining grounded during the ups and downs of life."

Thank you to the Facilitators Andy, Tony, Jack, and Tristian who led their peers through a wonderful performance, and thank you to PAC Mentor Scarlett for supporting the Troupe. :)

PAC is proud to present the exhibition, All of Us, with the goal of promoting awareness of art as a human right and arti...
09/01/2026

PAC is proud to present the exhibition, All of Us, with the goal of promoting awareness of art as a human right and artistic expression as a bridge between communities. This collection of work spanning over a decade of PAC classes looks at portraits of a wide range of subjects. Whether inspired by faith, myth, or celebrity, the artists aim not only to capture the likeness of their subjects but to convey their significance, whether personal or archetypal.

The exhibtion is only on display for one more week. Come by and check it out before its gone!

PAC is excited to share that our founder, SDSU Professor Annie Buckley, was invited by the CA Arts Council to form a pow...
07/29/2026

PAC is excited to share that our founder, SDSU Professor Annie Buckley, was invited by the CA Arts Council to form a powerhouse team of SDSU faculty Dr. Kim Kras and PAC board members Dr. Brian Heisterkamp, Ginny Oshiro and Cait Ahearn to lead a new capacity building project for Arts in Corrections (AiC) across California. This new project launched with AiC providers from across the state gathering in Sacramento in July 2026. Over two inspiring days, the 2026 AiC Convening brought together artists, researchers, funders, and advocates to strengthen arts programming across California.

Day 1 began with welcome and opening remarks by CAC, followed by an AiC preliminary impact report presentation from San Diego State University with CSU San Bernardino. Land Together led a guided relaxation/body-awareness exercise before a panel discussion on arts and wellbeing featuring Dr. Larry Brewster, faculty emerita from USF, Dr. Jill Sonke of the University of Florida and Stanford, and PAC alumnus Mark Taylor. The groups took part in a Growing Hope “paint a pot” workshop. The day ended with a collective reflection circle and a closing drum call led by Healing Rhythms.

Day 2 started with TheatreWorkers Project physical theater warm-ups and a session on trust led by AIC photographer Peter Merts. Participants then join a co-design capacity-building training on integrating the arts in corrections, followed by a panel on building partnerships with funders. The day concluded with a creative writing workshop, a networking break, and closing reflections.

Thank you to the California Arts Council for your trust and support in bringing Arts in Corrections providers together from across the state. A big shout out to our convening coordinator (and former PAC teaching artist) Jennifer Montenegro and PAC teaching artist Kate Kesner for support. Thank you to the California Endowment for hosting us in a beautiful space. And a huge thank you to our colleagues across the state and all the programs who joined us to build lasting collaboration.

07/28/2026

Facilitating Change: The Vision of Prison Arts Collective is a 40-minute documentary short film exploring the transformative arts programming of Prison Arts Collective (PAC) in California state prisons. Produced in collaboration with Avalie Media, the film explores the substance and impact of PAC’s unique Arts Facilitator Training Program through exclusive on site interviews with teachers, staff, facilitators and artists experiencing incarceration. Watch the full documentary now on Youtube. Link in Bio!

Opening Reception of Inside Stories, an exhibition presented by Prison Arts Collective (PAC) in collaboration with the S...
07/15/2026

Opening Reception of Inside Stories, an exhibition presented by Prison Arts Collective (PAC) in collaboration with the Scarab Creative Arts in Fresno, California took place on June 4th.

This exhibition of original artwork by incarcerated artists from Central California Women's Facility and Avenal State Prison takes inspiration from the visual style of comic books. The works included in this exhibition hold expansive narratives shaped by memory, imagination, and the lived experience of the artists, making them vital documents within the institutions and outside of them as a record of each of their humor, resilience, and creativity.

The reception included an artist talk by Martin Townsend, who mentored the artists featured in the exhibition.

Thank you to those who joined us for this evening celebrating PAC Peer Facilitators and participants.

In January of this year, PAC hosted the art exhibition “Creating Community,” on three yards at Ironwood State Prison in ...
07/06/2026

In January of this year, PAC hosted the art exhibition “Creating Community,” on three yards at Ironwood State Prison in January 2026. In “Creating Community,” Peer Facilitators and participants reimagined the gymnasium as a gallery, inviting the general population and CDCR staff to honor and celebrate. The featured artworks were created through PAC’s multidisciplinary arts classes, led by Peer Facilitators who complete PAC’s 60-hour Arts Facilitator Training.

Arts in Corrections, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the California Arts Council: thank you for your support of this project. ⭐️

Photos by .

PAC artwork highlight 🎨
07/01/2026

PAC artwork highlight 🎨

Happy Juneteenth! Featuring artwork by an anonymous PAC student at the California Institute for Women (2016), titled “Bl...
06/20/2026

Happy Juneteenth! Featuring artwork by an anonymous PAC student at the California Institute for Women (2016), titled “Black Lives Matter.”

The International Journal for Creativity has released its first issue, which includes an opening essay, "Art as Connecto...
06/16/2026

The International Journal for Creativity has released its first issue, which includes an opening essay, "Art as Connector," to which PAC Founding Director Annie Buckley was invited to contribute, and features information about PAC. The journal is now accepting submissions for future issues and encourages those who are interested to submit. See the graphic for details!

To our students in prison who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community: You are seen, valued, and never alone. We stand with y...
06/05/2026

To our students in prison who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community: You are seen, valued, and never alone. We stand with you.

Address

5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA
92182

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Prison Arts Collective posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category