Linkage Community Launches as Independent Network for Formerly Incarcerated Artists

After two decades within the University of Michigan’s PCAP, the Linkage Community, a statewide creative network for formerly incarcerated artists, will officially become an independent initiative on August 1, 2025.

After two decades of transformative work within the University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), the Linkage Community will officially launch as an independent initiative on August 1, 2025. What began as a mentorship program supporting incarcerated artists has grown into a statewide network for artists rebuilding their lives beyond prison, and now it’s taking the next step in shaping its own future.

“[PCAP] saw the need for something that would continue once people came home, to create space for us to keep making art and moving forward. Linkage has become a kind of reentry and ongoing support community, helping us reconnect not just socially, but through healing, monetizing our artwork, and becoming entrepreneurs with the skills we’ve learned,” said Kimiko Uyeda, Board Member and Visual Artist.

Linkage, founded in the early 2000s, supports artists who have been impacted by incarceration through mentorship, peer navigation, artistic development, and emotional wellness. With members in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Flint, Lansing, and other Michigan communities, it is now considered the state’s leading peer-based creative reentry network.

From Prison Walls to Prestigious Galleries

The roots of Linkage lie in PCAP’s efforts to uplift the creativity of incarcerated individuals through the largest exhibition of incarcerated visual art in the country. Recognizing the need for post-release support, PCAP helped birth Linkage as a bridge for returning citizens to continue creating and thriving.

“We support those opportunities for development, connection with creative people who are impacted by incarceration,” said Uyeda. “We’re actually forming on our own because we’ve outgrown [PCAP].”

The program helps members navigate technology, promote their artwork, and build the skills necessary to participate in and excel at art shows and galleries.

“Because of PCAP and Linkage, I was able to get into the emerging artists tent at the Ann Arbor Art Festival,” said Lansing-based artist Johnny Van Patten. “I was able to show my works at the Broad Museum, the Goodman Gallery, and Art Prize.”

Peer Support and Personal Connection

While art remains central to Linkage’s mission, members say the heart of the program lies in its community support. Weekly coffee chats, one-on-one check-ins, travel support, and assistance with day-to-day needs all foster a sense of belonging.

“There’s just such a community and such a connection with Linkage. It’s just a big family,” Van Patten said. “Anything that’s bothering me, I can always call, and they will try to find some form of resource or help.”

He described the challenges of returning to society after a decade in prison, from overwhelming crowds at art fairs to navigating the touchscreen kiosks now ubiquitous in job applications.

“I felt like a little kid watching a sci-fi movie,” he said. “Everything was a robot—the faucet, the towel, the trash can, the doors. I thought, ‘Where am I?’”

Linkage helps its members adjust by walking alongside them, sometimes literally, and offering peer-led support.

“We try to help each other in those ways,” Van Patten said. “Especially folks who’ve had a rough upbringing or are going through a lot, you know, deaths and things of that sort. We just come alongside and walk with each other.”

Looking Ahead: A New Chapter

With its official departure from the University of Michigan set for August 1, Linkage will operate independently under a fiscal sponsor. The transition allows the network to expand its reach while maintaining a collaborative relationship with PCAP.

As part of its next phase, Linkage is hosting a send-off fundraising campaign to support its operations and programming. Donations can be made at https://myumi.ch/VVDdV.

The community’s mission is clear: “To form a creative network with and for people directly impacted by incarceration. Together, we dismantle isolation, build bridges of opportunity, and connect through creativity.”

Van Patten perhaps said it best:

“They have treated us like human beings. That’s very key to Linkage, the community and all the connections they have. They’re kind of resource brokers, but the humane treatment of somebody who’s already kind of a pariah of society. They’ve given us a good chance to make up for what lost time has done to us.”

For more information, visit www.linkagecommunity.org.