PRESTONSBURG — Artwork created behind prison walls is now on public display at the Mountain Arts Center (MAC). Twenty-five pieces by incarcerated artists and students in the Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) Prison Education Program are being exhibited throughout January.

The exhibition features a variety of styles and media and includes work by artists from the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy in Debord and the Southeast State Correctional Complex in Wheelwright.

The project began after Stephanie VanHoose, coordinator of the prison education program, toured USP Big Sandy during the summer of 2025 and noticed artwork displayed in a recreation area.

“When I toured the federal prison, they had a recreation area, and all of this artwork was displayed,” VanHoose said. “I just thought we could display their art here in our art studio.”

Robert Daniels, technical director at the MAC, contacted VanHoose to ask whether the display could remain throughout January.

“I saw the display and I thought, ‘This is great,’” Daniels said. “I think it’s a great thing to do to keep the prisoners doing something positive and to see all the talent that no one would have known was there until it was in front of them.”

Daniels said the exhibition aligns closely with the MAC’s mission of showcasing talent that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“At SSCC, there are several artists who have brought their art to me in the education office just to show what they have done,” VanHoose said. “I was truly amazed by their talent.”

The exhibition is on display in the Mountain Arts Center lobby and is open to the public.