Facility: Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility

Course Dates: Tuesdays October 21st - December 23rd

Facilitator: Lilly StannardCourse Description:

Unlocking Imagination offers students an opportunity to learn and practice wellness techniques via creative engagement with modalities like movement, arts & crafts, acting exercises, writing and more. The course relies on the belief that every person is a creative being and by practicing techniques to release our creative blocks, we can imagine ways to heal and transform ourselves and our lives. During class time, students engage in artistic group activities, discussions and projects, and outside of class are given tools to dedicate ample time to cultivating the art of creative living in their daily lives.

Location: Thrivur Outpatient Treatment Center

Course Dates: Tuesdays 6–7pm & Thursdays 4–5pm (ongoing)

Facilitator: Dustin Ware

Program Description:
These weekly creative sessions at Thrivur are designed to support individuals in outpatient treatment programs who want to engage in art-making as part of their healing and recovery journey. Each session includes hands-on art activities and creative exercises that encourage personal growth, expression, and self-discovery. Currently available to Thrivur clients, the group is in the process of expanding to include members of the broader reentry community. No art experience is necessary- just an openness to explore and create.

Facilitator: Sarah McKenzie

Location: Sterling Correctional Facility

Dates: Tuesdays Sept. 16th- Dec. 3rd

This weekly hands-on class will offer participants the opportunity to learn or build upon basic drawing skills to explore how the activity of drawing both changes how we see the world and offers opportunities for self-expression. This course is available to those with no prior drawing experience or extensive drawing experience. All are welcome! Over ten weeks, we’ll cover a range of drawing concepts, including contour lines, line weight, value, contrast, gradation, and perspective. Assignments will include still-life subjects, interiors, portraiture, and imaginative drawing.

Facilitator: Sarah McKenzie

Location: Sterling Correctional Facility

Dates: Tuesdays Sept. 16th- Dec. 3rd

Program Description:
This class will offer an introduction to basic painting techniques using student-grade acrylics. We’ll explore the potential “plasticity” of wet media, building the illusion of three-dimensional forms on a two- dimensional surface. You’ll be introduced to the basics of color theory and learn to mix a wide range of colors using a limited palette of red, yellow, blue, white, and black paint.

Facilitator: Luis Perez

Location: Sterling Correctional Facility

Dates: Tuesdays Sept. 16th- Dec. 3rd

Esta es una clase práctica semanal que ofrecerá a los participantes la oportunidad de ampliar sus habilidades de dibujo, ya sean principiantes o experimentados. Exploraremos diferentes técnicas de dibujo para mejorar el dibujo a través de la textura, la expresividad y el estilo. Este curso se impartirá íntegramente en español. Durante diez semanas, cubriremos diversas técnicas de dibujo, incluyendo estilos d sombreado, textura a través de líneas y perspectiva. Las tareas incluirán bodegones, retratos, estilización y abstracción.

Facilitator: Dustin Ware

Location: Community-based meetups (various locations)

Dates: Ongoing, semi-weekly

Program Description:
The Collective is a community-led creative group designed for people who are formerly incarcerated and seeking continued connection, healing, and expression through art. Founded and facilitated by Dustin Ware, The Collective offers a semi-weekly space to gather, create, and support one another in the transition from prison to daily life on the outside. Whether you're an experienced artist or just curious about exploring your creativity, all are welcome. Supplies are provided, and participation is free. The only requirement is a willingness to show up and engage in a positive, creative space. If interested, please email us at info@impactartsco.org to get involved.

Facilities: Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility & The Beacon at Skyline Correctional Center

Course Dates: Thursdays June 26th- September 4th

Facilitator: Lilly StannardCourse Description:

Unlocking Imagination offers students an opportunity to learn and practice wellness techniques via creative engagement with modalities like movement, arts & crafts, acting exercises, writing and more. The course relies on the belief that every person is a creative being and by practicing techniques to release our creative blocks, we can imagine ways to heal and transform ourselves and our lives. During class time, students engage in artistic group activities, discussions and projects, and outside of class are given tools to dedicate ample time to cultivating the art of creative living in their daily lives.

Location: Thrivur Outpatient Treatment Center

Course Dates: Tuesdays 6–7pm & Thursdays 4–5pm (ongoing)

Facilitator: Dustin Ware

Program Description:
These weekly creative sessions at Thrivur are designed to support individuals in outpatient treatment programs who want to engage in art-making as part of their healing and recovery journey. Each session includes hands-on art activities and creative exercises that encourage personal growth, expression, and self-discovery. Currently available to Thrivur clients, the group is in the process of expanding to include members of the broader reentry community. No art experience is necessary- just an openness to explore and create.

Facility: Sterling Correctional Facility

Course Dates: Tuesdays March 4th- May 27th

Facilitator: Sarah McKenzie

Course Description:

This class will offer a deep dive into the study of color for drawing students who have already established strong basic skills. It is not a beginner class. We’ll explore the essential principles of color theory while developing awareness and sensitivity to color effects and color relativity. Through weekly homework assignments, students will be encouraged to develop their own personal approach to color, exploring color as both a material and a language.

Facility: Sterling Correctional Facility

Course Dates: Tuesdays, March 4th- May 27th

Facilitator: Sarah McKenzie

This class will offer a deep dive into the study of color for painting students who have already established basic skills working with acrylics. It is not a beginner class. We’ll explore the essential principles of color theory while developing awareness and sensitivity to color effects and color relativity. Through weekly homework assignments, students will be encouraged to develop their own personal approach to color, exploring color as both a material and a language.

Facility: Sterling Correctional Facility

Course Dates: Tuesdays, Sept 10, 2024- Dec 10, 2024

Facilitator: Sarah McKenzie

Course Description:

Seeing and Drawing, Inside and Out will offer participants the opportunity to learn or build upon basic drawing skills to explore how the activity of drawing from observation both changes how we see the world and offers opportunities for self-expression. This course is available to those with no prior drawing experience or extensive drawing experience – all are welcome to explore these drawing techniques and the reflective process. Each week, the class will be introduced to a range of drawing concepts, including contour lines, line weight, perspective, value, contrast, gradation, and more. Assignments will include still-life subjects, interiors, and self-portraiture. Additionally, students will be asked to reflect on their process of drawing and creation through informal journaling, and they will further explore the topics covered in class by completing readings and outside homework assignments. 

Artwork: Joseph Taylor McGill, Untitled, 2021

Facility: Sterling Correctional Facility

Course Dates: Tuesdays, Sept 10, 2024 – Dec 10, 2024

Facilitator: Sarah McKenzie

Course Description:

This weekly seminar class is designed for students who have already committed to an independent artistic practice and are looking to grow their work through facilitator feedback, group critique, and self-directed projects. The course centers around professional practices such as crafting artist resumes and artist statements, understanding the art market, identifying exhibition opportunities, sustaining an art practice inside prison and after release, and other related topics.

Artwork: Hector Castillo, Living Beyond These Walls, 2022