Northland prisoners’ art exhibition to open at Mairangi Arts Centre on Saturday, 9 April

Over 70 top-quality artworks created by Northland Region Corrections Facility (NRCF) prisoners will be on display at Mairangi Arts Centre in Auckland during the InsideOut 7 art exhibition.

Jeanette Burns, Corrections’ Northern Regional Commissioner, will officially open the InsideOut 7 exhibition on Saturday 9 April at 2pm. The exhibition will be open to visitors until Sunday, 8 May 2016.

All the works are produced through the ‘Art in Prisons’ programme and represent a blend of paintings and Māori carvings produced in the whakairo workshop at NRCF.

Now in its seventh year, the exhibition is the result of a creative partnership between Mairangi Arts Centre and the Department of Corrections.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that art can have a significant impact on offenders' lives, particularly in helping them move away from a life of crime,” says Dave Pattinson, NRCF prison director.

“Not only have the prisoners’ works become widely known to be of outstanding quality, but charitable causes also benefit from the proceeds of a silent auction that takes place throughout the exhibition. This year, the bulk of the income from the InsideOut 7 sales will support Women’s Refuge, while a percentage will be used to obtain art supplies for the prison artists.”

The theme of the InsideOut 7 exhibition is ‘History’.

“History reflects the need for each individual to look at his past as a means for finding a more positive pathway in the future,” says Beth Hill, art tutor and distance education facilitator at NRCF, who is part of the team who organised the exhibition.

“The exhibition has become one of the most popular events on Auckland’s annual arts calendar, and the prisoners’ works are in great demand,” says Ms Hill.

Last year, the over 90 artworks on display were sold for a total of $9,640. Top Energy Northland Rescue Helicopter received a donation of $6,748 from the sale of artworks.

ENDS

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