East Window

As viewers will discover, Castillo, Lee, and Rios have unique styles and subjects they choose to emphasize, but collectively their paintings speak to complex issues like the mental health challenges exacerbated by confinement; strategies for resisting institutionalization and serving time in a manner which preserves one’s dignity and personal agency; a deep frustration with our government’s inability to legislate for meaningful reform; and an ever-present longing for connection with the world beyond the prison walls. Through creative practice, Castillo, Lee, and Rios are able to resist the isolation and dehumanization that many incarcerated people face, and they retain a sense of artistic freedom. They use this freedom to illuminate truths of their lived experience and to provoke a broader public dialogue-one that is both urgent and long overdue. Impact Arts is a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to generating arts classes, programs, and exhibitions in and around the criminal-legal system. The organization brings visibility to the creative work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated artists and advocates for the importance of the arts as a healing and transformative tool. Creation of