Acra, NY—Wave Farm announced today the first grantees and workshops for Arts in Corrections NYS, a regrant partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

Arts in Corrections NYS will facilitate and support arts programming inside NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYS DOCCS) and participating Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) facilities across New York State. In partnership with visiting artists, non- profit arts organizations will design and facilitate a series of 12-week, in-person workshops, throughout 2023 and 2024. These workshops will provide system-impacted individuals with once-a-week programming in a variety of disciplines including the visual arts, electronic media/ film, music, and literature.

“I am delighted that this innovative program to create positive outcomes for individuals in the justice system has been expanded to 10 facilities across New York State,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director of NYSCA. “We are immensely grateful for the work of Wave Farm and DOCCS on this strategic initiative.”

“We are honored to be leading the work on this important program, and couldn’t be more excited about the quality of the first grantees and workshop curricula. Since November of last year, Wave Farm has worked closely and intensely with NYS DOCCS in preparation for this launch, which has been a pleasure. Arts in Corrections NYS wouldn’t be possible without the remarkable support of NYS DOCCS staff, and we are grateful.” Galen Joseph-Hunter, Wave Farm Executive Director said.

“With our mission being rehabilitation and successful re-entry into the community and family setting, DOCCS is acutely aware that each and every individual in our care has their own interests and needs and, therefore, their rehabilitative process must be approached on an individualized basis. We are excited for the opportunity to work collaboratively with NYSCA and Wave Farm, in order to afford individuals the opportunity to engage in the rehabilitative process through avenues of expression and creation.” Jeff McKoy, NYS DOCCS Deputy Commissioner of Program Services said.

Over the course of these artist-taught workshops, participants will have the opportunity to deepen artistic exploration and engage in a variety of creative disciplines. The workshops will provide education, training, and positive constructive criticism for each participant’s artistic endeavors.

Arts in Corrections NYS Grantees and Workshops - Spring 2023:

CREATE Council on the Arts (Greene County) — Personal Storytelling: What’s Your Story? (Green Haven Correctional Facility). Teaching Artists: Christina Thyssen and Caitlin Langstaff.
In this workshop, participants will discover the craft of writing and sharing a compelling story. Storytelling will be celebrated and practiced as a way to build community and help make sense of the world we live in. Participants will learn public speaking techniques, acquire skills to craft compelling narratives, and perform stories with ease and authenticity.

Great Lakes Guitar Society (Onondaga County) — One Mic Project (Mohawk Correctional Facility). Teaching Artist: Chris Cresswell
In this workshop, participants will learn and practice the basics of songwriting and music production, gaining the foundation to create their own lyrics and music. Introductions to songwriting and musical composition will provide participants with the skills to experiment with both group and individual creative musical production.

Justice Juvenile Arts and Media Network (Dutchess County) — Art Practices on the Edge of Possibilities (Shawangunk Correctional Facility). Teaching Artists: Maggie Hazen and Sofia Thieu D’Amico
This sculpture workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of constructing 2- dimensional and 3-dimensional works of art using unconventional resources and mediums. Participants will work with an assortment of paper-based materials using unique techniques, traditions, and methods. Each week, participants will be introduced to curatorial concepts and reference artworks made by contemporary artists. Participants will produce creative artworks, build an artistic portfolio, develop their personal artistic practice, and learn new creative strategies and concepts.

Rehabilitation Through the Arts (Westchester County) — Improv Your Life: Introduction to Improvisation (Ulster Correctional Facility). Teaching Artist: Paul Gutkowski
In this workshop, participants will learn and practice the fundamentals of improvisational acting. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about how improvisation acting can inform collaboration, public speaking, and critical thinking skills.

Rochester Contemporary Art CenterFraming Freedom (OCFS MacCormick Secure Center). Teaching Artist: Ya’qub Shabazz
Framing Freedom will introduce participants to elements of art history, color theory, painting and drawing techniques, interpreting fine art, and mindfulness. Participants will learn how to create visual art and discuss their work with their peers. The workshop will introduce materials including watercolors, pastels, and acrylic paint for themed weekly sessions.

Shandaken Projects (New York County) — Printmaking and Publication Workshop Series. Teaching Artists: Patrick Costello and Nicholas Weist
(Sullivan Correctional Facility) In this workshop, participants will gain skills-based instruction in printmaking and publication- making. Workshop participants will pursue creative goals in response to weekly themed prompts, which will result in a final project to be shared with their peers. Each week will focus on a specific skill, including collage, tracing, and stenciling. Participants will acquire knowledge of introductory printmaking techniques, graphic design basics, and publication-making. Final projects will be shared with their peers at the end of the workshop.

St. Lawrence County Arts Council (St. Lawrence County) — Writing Body and Mind (Franklin Correctional Facility). Teaching Artists: Rivka Eckert and Bob Cowser
Participants will be introduced to writing exercises and meditation practices to generate new creative writing work. Participants will have the opportunity to practice creative writing as an art form, and will learn how to write creatively and compellingly. Through guided writing prompts and encouraging feedback, participants will develop skills for communication, collaboration, and creativity.

The Art Effect (Dutchess County) — Music and Video Production (Otisville Correctional Facility). Teaching Artists: Adam Reid and Zach Reid
In this workshop, participants will write original songs and lyrics, record and produce the songs, and then create music videos for their songs. Participants will gain experience in songwriting, audio recording, lyrics writing, music selection, audio mixing, wordplay and creativity, and conveying ideas through music. Participants will additionally gain introductory skills in video production and video editing.

The Thrive Project (Franklin County) — The Self-Portrait and Identity (Bare Hill Correctional Facility). Teaching Artist: Geoff Cobb
Over the course of this workshop, participants will acquire introductory skills and experience with drawing self-portraits. Participants will discuss and analyze contemporary and historical self-portraits and will consider the style, emotional impact, and technique of these portraits. Participants will create their own self-portraits using introductory and intermediate art techniques and principles, creating a final artwork that will be presented in the last session.

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About the New York State Council on the Arts
The Council on the Arts preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. The Council upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award record funding in FY 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts, including dedicated support for arts education and underrepresented communities.

The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit http:// www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts. 

About Wave Farm
Wave Farm is a non-profit arts organization driven by experimentation with broadcast media and the airwaves. A pioneer of the Transmission Arts genre, Wave Farm provides access to transmission technologies and supports artists and organizations that engage with media and the electromagnetic spectrum as an art form. Located in NY’s Upper Hudson Valley major activities include international Artist Residencies and Fellowships; a Public Transmission Art Park and Study Center; Wave Farm Radio, including WGXC 90.7-FM: Radio for Open Ears; Fiscal Sponsorship and Consultant Services; as well as Regrant Partnerships with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). For more information, please visit wavefarm.org

About NYS DOCCS
DOCCS’ mission is to improve public safety by providing a continuity of appropriate treatment services in safe and secure facilities where the needs of the incarcerated population are addressed and where individuals under its' custody are successfully prepared for release and parolees under community supervision receive supportive services that facilitate the successful completion of their sentence. DOCCS recognizes the therapeutic value of offering arts-based programming to individuals in enhancing communication skills, supporting healthy forms of expression and increasing self-awareness. DOCCS’ vision is to enhance public safety by having incarcerated persons return home under supportive supervision less likely to revert to criminal behavior. By affording individuals the opportunity to participate in creative and expressive programming, DOCCS is seeking to enrich the incarceration experience and bolster the success rates of those returning to the community.

For more information about Arts in Corrections NYS, visit wavefarm.org/grants/arts-in- corrections-nys
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Arts in Corrections NYS is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.