GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Crossroad Bible Institute, a nonprofit prison ministry dedicated to biblically based reentry education, is excited to announce the opening of the Crossroad Inmate Art Gallery.
The gallery will feature art from some of CBI’s 40,000 students on a rotating basis. These students from across the United States have submitted art that reflects their developing faith and renewed hope.
In 1999, CBI began inviting its students to submit art for possible publication in Crossroad Journal of the Arts, a quarterly mailed to CBI’s students. The competition initiated by this opportunity led to an increase of the volume and the quality of art submitted to CBI; these elements inspired the formation of the gallery.
The gallery will provide those in prison with a public platform to display their art as well as provide affirmation of their accomplishments. The majority of submissions are the result of a student’s reflection process as their relationship with Christ develops. CBI sees the art of these students as a healthy outlet and a demonstration of how art can function as a component of treatment, education and development.
“The creation of the art and recognition of the artists has proven to be both healing and life enhancing for our students,” says president of CBI, Dr. David Schuringa.
Through the establishment of the art gallery, CBI is empowering and encouraging those behind bars in a respectful manner. The gallery will also provide the general public with a broader vision of people in prison.
The gallery features art in a variety of mediums, including graphic art, pen and ink, colored pencil, paintings, poems, short stories, essays and occasionally a ceramic piece. With little resources to create the art, the students will sometimes use the back of an envelope as a canvas.
The Grand Opening of the Crossroad Inmate Art Gallery for the general public will be from September 14 to 18 at the headquarters of CBI in Grandville, Mich. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the admission is free and a staff member will be on hand to give guests a tour. Kim Vander Lende will be the curator of the gallery.
For a preview of the art and more information about CBI’s programs, visit CBI’s Web site. For any further questions, please contact CBI at (800) 668-2450. All of CBI’s programs are free to prisoners and their families.
Copyright © 2009 Crossroad Bible Institute
