Imagining Abolition: Blood, Sweat, and Tears Too features artwork by members of the Returning Artists Guild (RAG), a group of artists who have been directly impacted by incarceration. The Returning Artists Guild supports artists in sharing their experiences, building community, and using creativity as a form of expression and growth. In this exhibition, artists use a range of artistic materials and approaches to reflect on loss, time, resilience, care, and survival. Together, their works encourage viewers to imagine new ways people can support one another and build safer, more caring communities.

This exhibition is made possible by Spark Grant from the Mellon Foundation and the Ohio Prison Education Exchange Project (OPEEP).

The exhibition will run February 10 - March 13, 2026, and all are welcome to the opening reception on Tuesday, February 10th, from 12:30 - 1:30pm in the Pearl Conrad Art Gallery.

Photograph: Terri Voss, Boo Boo, Hand-sewn bear made from “states”, 2023