The Crossing Arts Alliance (TCAA – Brainerd, MN) invites visual and literary artists to submit original work for the BEHIND THE BRICKS community art project. Artists, photographers and writers from the community may select a piece of artwork created by a Crow Wing County Jail inmate and create a companion piece (writing to art and art to writing) that reflect the mood, meaning and/or feeling of the original work.
Artists can select a piece of inmate artwork at the Crossing office, 1001 Kingwood Street, #114, Brainerd Minnesota, April 22 through May 2, Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or by appointment calling 218-833-0416. Deadline for submissions is August 1. 
The BEHIND THE BRICKS exhibit of original work with the companion pieces will be displayed at the Crow Wing County Jail for staff and inmates and at the Q Gallery, Franklin Arts Center, 1001 Kingwood St #222 in Brainerd, from September 25 – October 11 for the greater community. An opening reception is planned for September 25.
BEHIND THE BRICKS was designed to bring access to the arts as a vehicle for communication to a traditionally underserved audience. Instruction to develop artistic skills in inmates of Crow Wing County Jail began in the fall of 2013, where inmates began creating both visual and literary artwork.
A book of selected inmate artwork will be published by RiverPlace Press of Brainerd and will allow the artwork to be shared and distributed to a larger audience. The publication will be launched to the public at the September reception exhibit in the Q Gallery.
Crossing Arts Alliance activities are funded, in part, by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Five Wings Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund; and grants from Brainerd Service League, Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union, Kohl’s, and the Anderson Family Legacy Fund. For more information visit www.crossingarts.org.
Tagged: Call for Manuscripts, Ekphrastic Poetry, Writing Exercise
