By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
The Winter Art Exhibit at the Sherborn Library, entitled “Art From Inside,” is a powerful exhibit by the Prison Book Program (PBP). It was created to amplify the voices of incarcerated artists. According to the Sherborn Library website, “For over 50 years, PBP has provided free books to individuals in prisons across the U.S., with 2022 seeing over 53,000 books sent to readers nationwide.”
What began in the Red Bookstore in Cambridge now operates from the basement of the United First Parish Church in Quincy Center, also known as the Church of the Presidents. In 2023 alone, PBP sent 18,172 packages containing more than 63,000 books to readers in all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
The Art From Inside displayed artwork created by these readers, reflecting their gratitude for the program. Many pieces in the exhibit are book-themed, portraying reading as a temporary escape from prison life or as a means of growth, learning, and rehabilitation. For many readers in this program, books offer liberation in both literal and figurative senses, with some discovering a passion for reading only after entering prison. As the library website expressed regarding the exhibit, “The pieces in this exhibit showcase the detailed techniques that can be achieved with the simplest tools, most commonly ballpoint pen and pencil. Art from Inside shows how much talent, creativity and human potential resides behind bars.”
Art from Inside showcases the immense talent, creativity, and human potential that exists behind bars, offering a glimpse into the resilience and artistry of incarcerated individuals.
For more information about the program or to donate books, please visit: prisonbookprogram.org/
This exhibit will remain up for the rest of the month. On Wednesday, April 2 the Sherborn Library will unveil a new exhibit for the spring, created by photographer Steven Edson. The exhibit is entitled “Art of the Automobile.” The unveiling will begin at 7pm that evening.
