Presented in partnership with The University of Akron’s Institute for Human Science & Culture
On view now through Spring 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, December 5, 2025 | Free + open to the public
Register to attend →
Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition brings together the voices of artists directly impacted by incarceration, each using their creative practice to imagine a world beyond punishment. Organized by the Returning Artists Guild (RAG), this exhibition expands our ongoing work to amplify the visions of justice-impacted creators and to challenge systems that limit their freedom, visibility, and self-expression.
Featuring painting, sculpture, quilting, photography, and multimedia works, Home Free asks:
“What does liberation look like when it’s built from the inside out?”
Each piece carries the weight of lived experience—grief, resilience, love, and radical hope—reflecting the ways art becomes both a survival tool and a roadmap toward collective healing.
About the Returning Artists Guild
The Returning Artists Guild is a peer-led collective of formerly and currently incarcerated artists using art as a pathway to reentry, healing, and systemic change. Since its founding, 100% of surveyed members have reported increased confidence, hope, and emotional expression through participation in RAG programs, with many gaining paid exhibitions, fellowships, and national press recognition.
“RAG has helped me feel welcome in a community of fellow artists who understand what I’m going through. I love RAG.” — Mark Loughney, RAG Artist
Our Collaboration with The University of Akron
This partnership with the Institute for Human Science & Culture is part of a growing network of institutions aligning with RAG’s abolitionist vision: to replace carceral systems with communities of care, creation, and belonging.
Together, we invite the public to experience not only the artwork, but the freedom dreams of those who made it possible.
Exhibition Details
🗓️ Through Spring 2026
📍 Institute for Human Science & Culture, Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, The University of Akron
💬 Reception: Friday December 5 | Artist remarks + community dialogue