Aimee is a self-taught visual artist and filmmaker that works with a diverse array of materials and themes. Since her release from prison she has been an active member in the arts community across the state, and nationally, particularly focusing on efforts to curate the work of her contemporaries and create programming that allows for meaningful dialogue and cultural shifts. Her body of work continues to transform, but the visible longing for justice and a recontextualized release from trauma remains at the core of her practice and message. She has learned that making is an opportunity to embrace her voice, understand her power, and to advocate for human beings experiencing social and political oppressions.
Kamisha Thomas is an interdisciplinary image maker, and describes her work as exploratory expressionism. Thomas’ films, stories, poems, skits, and scripts are inspired by her personal experiences and the experiences of others. One commonality within these experiences is the exploration of humanity. Her work brings audiences face to face with their own humanity, ego, and privilege, as she is faced with her own every day. The drawings, paintings, prints, installations, jewelry, and digital designs quenches her thirst for curiosity and provides relief from the plight of being Black in this country.
Zeph Vondenhueval
Zeph Vondenhuevel is a self taught disabled artist residing in small town Ohio. Their work, steeped in tragedy and anger and topped off with a dash of humor and sexuality, often takes aim at institutions such as the medical, insurance, and prison industries, drawn on by the artists experiences of feeling trapped within them all.
Working mostly from bed due to their progressive illnesses and pain levels, the artist creates grungy paintings with oils and acrylics, and sculptures created with found objects from the never ending cycle of doctor visits and hospital trips.
A member of the Returning Artist Guild, Zeph is driven to create by a love of their community, a sense of justice for all suffering due to inequality and stigma, and a yearning for a world not controlled by a select few at the expense of all the rest.
Gwendolyn Garth
Gwen is a visual artist and founding director of the Kings & Queens of Art in Cleveland, OH.
Gwendolyn Garth is a Native Clevelander, Social Practice and Multimedia Artist of African descent, born 10/13/1951. Gwen is also a recovering Substance abuse user with 25 years of uninterrupted sobriety and she is an alumna of the carceral system. Gwendolyn is the Founder and Visionary leader of a grassroots Arts Service non-profit organization called Kings & Queens of Art. Gwen founded Kings & Queens of Art as my way of giving back to the community.
Believing that she was called to be a champion for herself and other marginalized artists. Gwendolyn thinks of herself as the “Harriet Tubman of Black Artists” here in Cleveland. As she is shown, as she discovers and create doors of opportunity, Gwen feels compelled to show others those doors of opportunity and bring them with her.
Gwendolyn specializes in the integration of fine art with computer graphics. She frequently combines techniques and mediums such as paints, pencil sketching mixed with marker, graphite, fabric, computer graphics, woodworking, and creative journaling. Gwen Garth is widely recognized throughout Greater Cleveland for community-based collaborations and activism, Gwen now sees her community as a canvas.
Gwendolyn’s personal mission is to encourage others towards “Overcoming Darkness and Defying Stereotypes”. She uses the arts and creative placemaking as vehicles of healing, particularly for those who are healing from the traumas of incarceration, substance abuse and racism. Gwen’s personal transformation is my message!
Guiding Principle: Gwen’s real work will always be about Reinventing Communities & Changing Perceptions about the people in those communities. Gwen will always do so by employing the therapeutic value of art and by thinking and working holistically and engaging with others through collaboration and transparency.
Joy
Joy Hoop is a currently incarcerated artist working in found material, fiber, sculpture, and more. The RAG anticipates and hopes for release at her upcoming parole board hearing.
Dean Gillispie
I am not an artist. I was just lucky some trash I put together during my 20 years of a wrongful conviction, ended up in some very famous museums..
Images of Dean’s Work
Dean
Dean Preston is a currently incarcerated painter. His work is explicitly about the carceral experience and depicts the prison landscape in both setting and subject.
A native of Columbus Ohio, Dean is a forty seven year old artist who has been in prison since he was twenty years old. He enjoys making art in all sorts of media, most recently airbrushing and wants to evolve a feeling in the art that he shares. His inspiration comes from his faith, his love and his experiences.
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell is a 35 year old Cleveland-based singer/songwriter and all around performer. Since her return home from prison in 2019, Andrea has steadily pursued her craft along side close friends who served time with her. Andrea spreads joy and inspiration through song and encourages others to do the same.
Whitney Kretchek
As an artist, I channel my journey through mental health challenges, addiction recovery, and anxiety into my work, creating pieces that speak to resilience, transformation, and the human spirit. I am currently a proud member of The RAG, where I’ve found a community of like-minded creatives who inspire and support one another. Painting, particularly with acrylic on canvas, has been my medium of choice—a powerful outlet that allows me to express emotions and stories that words often cannot convey. My work serves as a reflection of my own healing and as a voice for those navigating life’s complexities.
Many of my pieces focus on themes that resonate with individuals impacted by incarceration, delving into the difficult topics of isolation, hope, and redemption. Through bold colors and evocative imagery, I aim to create dialogue and understanding around these experiences, shedding light on the struggles often hidden from view. Art has been a cornerstone of my growth, offering me a way to connect with others and advocate for change.
Adam Kretchek
I’m Adam Kretchek, an artist who found solace and creative expression through art as a hobby. After battling addiction, I faced incarceration in 2013. It was during this challenging time that art became my cathartic outlet, bringing positivity into my life and keeping me busy.
Following my release, I discovered photography as a new artistic medium. With my camera in hand, I started capturing the beauty and uniqueness of the world around me. It was a transformative experience, allowing me to see the world from a different perspective and appreciate the small moments that often go unnoticed.
I’m proud to say that my photography has been published in various magazines, newspapers, and art shows. These opportunities have not only validated my passion but also provided a platform for me to showcase my work. I’m grateful for the unwavering support I’ve received from The Rag, an organization that has played a significant role in my artistic growth and networking abilities.
My journey as an artist is a testament to the power of creativity and the resilience of the human spirit. Through my art, I aim to inspire others, challenge societal preconceptions, and create meaningful connections. Each photograph I take tells a story, evoking emotions and inviting viewers to see the world through my lens.
I’m excited for what the future holds as I continue to explore new artistic avenues and connect with fellow artists and art enthusiasts. Art has not only transformed my life but has also provided me with a voice that I’m eager to share with the world.
Jayme Santini
Bio:
Jayme Santini discovered the freedom of art as a child. Through the waves of life, she has used it as a consistent form of expression and voice. She uses styles, mediums, and symbolism to shout visual feelings, ideas, and stories.
Artist statement:
I have been currently using naked body parts coupled with bold lines and deep contrast to show boldness and vulnerability. Most times the subject is a self portrait. Overlapping styles, forms, and mediums; just as life overlaps. I have been using symbolism to show the balance and renewal in everyday, everything, and all life. Expressing thoughts and feelings with tones and color, just screaming what life drums by.
Raymond Towler
In the realm of artistic perception, the captivating allure of the female form emerges as an exquisite embodiment of beauty, as viewed through the discerning lens of this artist’s subjective perspective. Through my paintings, I delve into the intricate realm of human forms and faces, both real and imagined, that inhabit our world. My artistic exploration delves into the profound concept of liberation, both in the realm of thought and in the realm of physicality. Through my work, I seek to capture the essence of individuals who possess the remarkable ability to transcend societal constraints and embrace the freedom to make choices. My artistic endeavor revolves around the portrayal of Black faces spanning across three distinct eras.
Brandy West
I began drawing portraits at the age of five in kindergarten after dreaming of a profile of a young girl with braids that I desperately wanted my mother to do my hair for school. An artist that inspires me is Vincent Van Gogh.
His painting “Starry night,” which not only excites me every time I see it. I
That painting deeply inspires me on an otherworldly level. I consider myself a Portraitist but my passion is creating Anime. The media I use for creating portraits are generally graphite, chalk, and charcoal. I tried to capture my subject’s emotions when I draw and I consider that to be my main objective. Capturing emotion in my work is an important element in all the work I am privileged to create.
As of now I live in Columbus and am acting upon a strong desire to follow my dreams in animation. My objective is to create the story I envision through the style of anime to send a message that although you have made mistakes, people have hurt you, and you have hurt others too, the path you I believe we all should take is to go back and take responsibility on your healing, but do it with your higher power and with that, you will be able to free space to finally live the life you are called to live. To ascend to your purpose. Healing partners with hope. This project is still in its infancy stage , so I’m open to anyone willing to aid in the process to bring it to fruition.
Mary Evans RIP
Seen and unseen sounds have always been interesting to me. Audio production is the primary form of sound I use to promote activism. Being an audio editor gives you the ability to truly control what others are saying and enhance their perspective. I use audio recordings and video to capture details from the interviewee and this process essentially allows the content that the subject is sharing, the ability to tell their story. in their truths.
As a child, music and noises in many genres and nuances, was how my family communicated. Coming home and hearing certain music or noises let me know what emotion or situation I was entering into.
Paying attention to how individuals enunciate and the variants of cadence of their speech is still all-consuming to me.
Whether it was a Kibitzer, professor, or public speaker, the powerful educating voice coming through the microphone and the speaker would encapsulate me.
I always found individuals in an authoritative or educational position that had this ability fascinating, because they controlled the audience and expressed their topics with such an informative passion and their words were the primary form of control and/or persuasion. All which produces sound.
The creation and production of my podcast, Re entry Stories, is authentic because the stories are told through lived experiences. The interviews and stories address mandatory sentencing minimums, prison justice reform, economic mobility, fair housing, fair employment, issues surrounding adequate mental and medical care, reunification processes, and successful sustainability.
The Podcast Series, showcases the struggles of the mentioned oppressors that cause resistance to the Returned Community,. Each voice broken down into soundwaves allows me to become familiar with the cadence. This is vital in post production. Capturing each soundwave, building the content around the subject’s perspective, and pasting soundwaves together to build a collective is my passion.
Each soundwave becomes a collective, the collective becomes a story, and the story becomes hope.
With hope comes a revolution that can change the world of Re entry through sound. Making sound the force of activism.
Jamie Ochs
Dear Reader,
Jamie Ochs is a Dayton resident and a Reynoldsburg native who first began her relationship with art when she was just 11 years old. Her journey began with portrait drawing, animations and focused largely on pulling inspiration from the natural elements into her work. As a young girl and with little interest in what money could buy she jumped at the opportunity to learn art as a form of payment for her work babysitting for a nearby art teacher who agreed to mentor her. Though short lived the seed for her love for art was planted and grew to provide her with great strength and passions that would later be key to her survival, through what was the most difficult time of her young life. A mother of 2 and married by 19, into a tumultuous relationship, leading her to make choices that would cost her 10 years of her freedom and her chance to raise her two daughters and the son she would later have in prison.
“Art is my refuge. I have found answers to questions that have long tickled my consciousness and have been blessed to find beauty in all things. Even in my darkest moments, art has shown light on my fears and insecurities and worries and brought order to the chaos in my mind. Artists run deep through my family and it was my maternal grandmother who shared these traits and talents. Though I never got to know her personally, I take great comfort in knowing that the rituals I experience in performing my art have been passed down from generation to generation and are embedded in our DNA, which connects and bind us all”.
“Art has guided my spirit, and is leading me to where I’m meant to be. Giving me understanding, peace, and a place that transcends time and space. It is my hope to continue this journey and to share my warmth and light through my art by maintaining a diligent pursuit of my goals to grow into the roles I’ve been blessed to inherit as a mother, sister, friend, mentor and partner”. Jamie Ochs 2023
To date Jamie has earned two associate degrees, the first in social sciences with a focus in addictive illness and the other in computer science and engineering-technical studies. She is her final semester to earn her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in Human Resources this year. She is currently a series 6 licensed financial services representative for MetLife annuities. A mother of 6, she hopes to pass along her love of learning and artistic flare down the line at some point. She is growing into her purpose and hopes to share her testimony with the world and her loved ones through her art.
Sincerely,
Jamie Ochs
Sheena Hansel
Born with a deep love for nature, Sheena found her artistic voice through the vibrant and expressive world of floral design. Though she never considered herself traditionally artistic, she discovered a profound connection to creativity when she began arranging flowers. This newfound passion quickly became a transformative journey, allowing her to merge her love for gardening and herbalism with a meaningful, hands-on art form. Drawing inspiration from the organic beauty of nature, Sheena specializes in garden-gathered, whimsical, and wild floral arrangements that not only look beautiful, but are medicinal and healing as well. Her arrangements hold the goal of being transformed from a piece of art into a healing medicine. Her work highlights the natural movement and personality of each flower, emphasizing the life and energy that exists within them. She particularly enjoys working with yarrow, and often incorporates blooms with historical and medicinal significance to bridge the past with the present. Her arrangements serve as a way to honor and teach about ancestral traditions, incorporating flowers that have been used in ceremonies, folklore, and healing practices for generations. Before starting on her journey in floral design, Sheena worked in social work, a path she ultimately left after a period of personal transformation. Following incarceration, she sought to rebuild her life with intention and joy, reconnecting with her childhood love for flowers and the earth. Through her art, she has created a new chapter for herself—one rooted in resilience, creativity, and a deep-seated belief in the power of renewal. She now uses floral design as a way to teach others about the deep cultural significance of plants, sharing stories of how flowers have been used by ancestors in rituals, celebrations, and medicine. Today, Sheena shares her passion for floral artistry through custom arrangements, teaching, and working with brides and individuals seeking to experience the magic of flowers. She believes that floral arranging is more than just an aesthetic pursuit; it is an accessible, healing art form that fosters connection—to nature, to oneself, and to others. Through her work, she hopes to inspire people to embrace creativity, reconnect with heritage, find healing & empowerment and cultivate joy in unexpected places. By weaving ancestral knowledge into her floral artistry, she helps others see flowers not just as decorations but as powerful symbols of tradition, healing, and storytelling. Sheena’s immediate ambition is to cultivate a living classroom, a space where she can intentionally grow organic flowers & herbs and impart knowledge about the natural world, with a particular focus on the medicinal plants used by her Native ancestors. This hands-on learning environment will serve as the foundation for her larger vision: to create floral arrangements that, upon drying, can be transformed into healing teas, tinctures, and salves. By bridging traditional knowledge with contemporary floral artistry, she aims to offer a holistic approach to wellness and cultural preservation, empowering individuals to connect with the healing power of plants in a deeply personal and practical way. Her future ambitions are rooted in building a tangible legacy of healing and cultural preservation through floral artistry. She envisions a vibrant community and learning center, a curated floral archive documenting ancestral knowledge, expanded educational outreach to empower marginalized communities through plant-based healing, meaningful collaborations with Indigenous communities to respectfully share native plant wisdom, and a published work that intertwines her personal story with the profound cultural and therapeutic power of flowers. By pursuing these initiatives, she aims to create a lasting impact, fostering connection, healing, and cultural understanding through the transformative language of flowers.
Kevin
Kevin Ballou is a performance artist to the core. He loves educating and entertaining people with the power of character depth, words and movement. A avid lover of people, places and things (nouns), you can catch Kevin performing comedy around the Cleveland area and acting in stage plays, films and sketches. Kevin also dabbles into instillation work and event production and promotion. He has worked as a community organizer and co-led several successful campaigns for local and state issues. His passion is being a link the arts to social justice issues. He currently resides in Cleveland.
WallStreet Wes
Wesley Robinson also known as “Wallstreet Wes” is a prolific professional poet. Known for his strong sense of compassion for people, great sense of humor and heart of servitude. Wallstreet Wes’s story is one of triumph. He is a servant to this world and is driven to provide emotional care after serving 10 years in prison for aggravated robbery. It was during his time incarcerated where he not only used poetry as a flashight in the darkness of his mind, Wes was changing the culture of every prison that he was in with poetry. He had a vision that he brought to life, to use poetry to help men learn and identify their emotions to become better communicators, as a tool to keep from being violent. It was there he was deemed the first ever Poet Laureate of the Ohio prison system, a position he holds to this day. Wallstreet Wes now uses poetry as a innovative way to solve social problems in prisons, detention centers and communities abroad. Wallstreet Wes is the perfect fit for any event that has meaning. His charisma connects him directly to any crowd young or grown. He is an excellent addition to your event with 25 years of experience of providing thought provoking heartfelt poetry, wisdom and pure inspiration and he is flexible to your budget.
Alfred Cleveland
Alfred Cleveland, of the Ohio 4, was a wrongfully convicted artist who has now become an advocate for the wrongfully convicted as well as those reentering. He is known for his early grafitti murals in LL Cool J’s home and other celebrities and loves to beautify the community with his paintings. He currently is the writer and stage director for the hit play “The Lynched Among Us” which was featured on Ideastream and The Lincoln Theater in Columbus.
