Inside Out Reentry Community

Creativity can sprout anywhere.

Impressionist drawings of lush landscapes, water-colored paintings infused with Kool-Aid and coffee, and intricate and detailed portraits of celebrities are just a few of the dozens of art pieces that will be displayed at Public Space One’s “Art from the Inside Out” exhibition.

The yearly offering from Inside Out Reentry Community (IO) is a rare glimpse into the creativity and resilience of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals across the state of Iowa. Inside Out Reentry Community is a 5013(c) nonprofit organization that helps people returning to Johnson County after incarceration. They work with the individuals to develop reentry plans that promote healing, restore relationships, and achieve success after their release.

Read more at The Press Citizen. Written by Jessica Rish, February 5, 2025.

Community members packed the Feb. 7 opening reception of the “Art from the Inside Out” exhibition at Public Space One’s Close House, giving me the feel-goods. I saw a woman I used to work with and met her mother; I saw friends and met their grandchild. Artists and their families were there, and it was the most class-diverse art show I’ve attended. It felt divine because I saw the Iowa City community as it is, not what it is assumed to be.

This is the show’s third year at the location, which spreads over three galleries featuring paintings, prints, works on paper, a few ceramics and a multimedia installation.

Read more at The Little Village. Written by Andrea Truitt, Feb 13, 2025.

Community members, educators, employers and others are encouraged to learn how individuals, after serving prison time, face a multiple challenges reentering the community and finding employment during a reentry simulation event held later this month.

Inside Out Reentry Community, an Iowa City nonprofit, is holding the event from 1 to 3 p.m. on April 19, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 140 Gathering Place Lane, in Iowa City. During the first 90 minutes of the event, participants will be given a fictional identity of an individual attempting to reenter the community following a criminal conviction.

Participants will navigate through “multiple difficult tasks” and gain insight into the hardships that come with parole. Following the stimulation, organization officials will have a 30-minute debrief and panel discussion, featuring firsthand experiences and stories of individuals who have gone through this process.

This is a public outreach event for the community and is free for participants. However, space is limited and an RSVP is necessary.

Read more at The Gazette. Written by Trish Mehaffey, April 3, 2024.