Arts in Corrections NYS Online Archive Launches
www.artsincorrectionsnys.org

Acra - Wave Farm is pleased to announce the launch of an online archive of artwork created through Arts in Corrections NYS, a program to facilitate and support arts programming inside New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYS DOCCS) facilities across New York State. Arts in Corrections NYS is a regrant program of The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), facilitated by Wave Farm working closely with DOCCS.

The Arts in Corrections website is a dedicated archive for documentation of artworks produced in workshops in 2023 and 2024. The archive showcases a selection of work across multiple genres including songwriting, storytelling, printmaking, sculpture, and writing. Audio and transcripts from interviews between students in AIC workshops are additionally available on the website, and were produced as a collaboration of California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) and Wave Farm.

Project management of the development of this website was provided by Nicholas Weist, Shandaken Projects Executive Director. Weist has served as an AIC teaching artist at Sullivan and Coxsackie Correctional Facilities since 2023. Weist said, “Shandaken Projects is fortunate to have participated in AIC NYS since its inception. The incarcerated individuals we have worked with through this program have demonstrated immense resiliency, creativity, and vulnerability in the classroom. This website honors their imagination and intelligence. Viewers will be able to listen to interviews with the incarcerated participants, hearing from them directly that there is a critical need for this program in New York State and beyond."

Wave Farm Executive Director Galen Joseph-Hunter said, “We are so pleased to be able to share the work created as part of the Arts in Corrections NYS program with public audiences. This website celebrates the talent and efforts of the individuals participating in AIC workshops, and wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of the program’s teaching artists, the collaboration of DOCCS staff, and the support of NYSCA.”

“Not only does this website document a wonderful portfolio of artwork, but we can also hear the participants themselves speak about the skills and insights they have gained from their artmaking,” said Erika Mallin, Executive Director of NYSCA. “This new website offers the public an opportunity to learn more about this critical program. NYSCA is so proud to support this initiative and commends Wave Farm and DOCCS for their incredible work”

New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III said, “Rehabilitation and successful reintegration into the community have long been central to the mission of the Department. In 2023, New York State Council On The Arts (NYSCA) and DOCCS partnered to introduce the Arts in Corrections project to the incarcerated population across a number of New York State correctional facilities. Wave Farm has played a key role as NYSCA’s grant partner, helping to bring music production, storytelling, body movement, painting, and other creative and impactful arts-based programming to those in our care.

The Department is proud of the enrichment these programs have offered participants as they navigate the rehabilitation process. The artwork created not only reflects the depth and individuality of those in our custody, but also offers the public a powerful glimpse into their talents and potential.”

In 2023 and 2024, Arts in Corrections supported arts programming inside approximately 10 New York State facilities. In 2025, Arts in Corrections plans to expand to 15 facilities across New York State, supporting in-person workshops that provide system-impacted individuals with once-a-week programming led by teaching artists in a variety of disciplines including the visual arts, electronic media/film, music, movement, and literature.

About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture and creativity for all. In FY 2026, the Council on the Arts will award over $161 million, serving organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. 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 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 arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

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.

About Wave Farm
Wave Farm is an international transmission arts organization driven by experimentation with the electromagnetic spectrum. Wave Farm cultivates creative practices in radio and supports artists and nonprofits in their cultural endeavors. Based in New York’s Upper Hudson Valley, Wave Farm is a media arts center, media platform, and arts service organization. Wave Farm offers interdisciplinary outdoor installations, residencies and fellowships, and a research library. Wave Farm operates FM radio station WGXC and hosts many online radio channels. Wave Farm provides fiscal sponsorship, consultation, and grants to artists and organizations.

For more information about Arts in Corrections NYS, click here.