Drawing Parallels Opening Reception

Call for Creative Collaborators!

Building on the inspiring work created through the inside/outside collaborations initiated for our Drawing Parallels exhibition, JustArts has launched “Kites,” and ongoing program connecting Tulsa-area artists with artists in prison.

We are inviting Tulsa-area artists to participate in creative correspondence with artists who are currently incarcerated. This project centers dialogue and relationship as creative practice. Through letters, drawings, writing, and other accessible forms of exchange, artist pairs will develop work informed by sustained conversation and mutual response. Group exhibitions will bring the work created through these exchanges, along with the conversations that shaped it, into shared public view.

What participation looks like:

You’ll be paired with one artist selected from our cohort of artists in prisons across the US
JustArts will provide guidance around communication-related barriers specific to the artist you’re paired with, and support around using approved communication platforms
You and your collaborator will exchange letters, images, and ideas over the course of several months
Your correspondence will inform new work created by both artists
The work that emerges through your correspondence will be presented in a group exhibition alongside other collaborative works and traces of the exchanges that inspired it. All participants will be invited to contribute to the curation and planning of exhibitions in which their work will be featured
Artwork created through this project may be offered for sale
- Artists in prison receive 100% of proceeds from the sale of their work unless they choose to contribute a portion to the gallery otherwise and are not asked to contribute a commission to the gallery.
- Local artists are invited to contribute a self-determined percentage of their sales to support JustArts Gallery, based on what feels meaningful and doable to them.
JustArts is not yet in a position to offer artist honorariums (but we’re working on it!). Participating local artists should be willing to contribute modest personal resources to support correspondence. JustArts is committed to keeping costs accessible.

Who this is for:

This invitation is open to emerging and established artists working in any medium that can commit to consistent correspondence (usually via e-messaging or phone calls) through the duration of the project.

No formal application is required. We’re looking for artists who are curious, generous, and interested in building creative connection across barriers.

If you are interested and not based in the Tulsa area, please reach out. While local artists are being prioritized for this initiative, we can find ways for you to participate.

How to get involved:

If you’re interested, please send:

A short note (a few sentences is fine) about why this project resonates with you
A link or attachment showing a few examples of your work

Email: justarts4all@gmail.com
Subject line: Creative Collaboration

We’ll follow up with next steps!

Tulsa artist Zadith Rodriguez celebrates her collaboration with Brian Hindson