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Arts in Prison provides opportunities for inmates to prove that they are more than the sum of their crimes. By providing arts education and experiences for inmates in state prisons and detention centers, these members of society, who have been locked away and often forgotten, are given a chance for self-reflection and an opportunity to create something beautiful. Whether it is a song, a stage performance, a photograph or a painting, they have created something that brings joy to others.Arts in Prison is about inspiring and motivating positive change in the incarcerated.
After a notable career in choral music, Kansas native Elvera Voth left Alaska and returned to Kansas City to fashion her retirement and begin her third act. She determined that after spending her career making music for those who could afford to enjoy it she would most like to bring music to those who did not have the same opportunity. A friend suggested the prison in Lansing and a choir was born.
With the support of facility staff Elvera formed the East Hill Singers, a men’s choir in the minimum security unit at Lansing Correctional Facility. Eventually, she brought volunteer singers from the outside into the facility with her to provide vocal support to the inmate singers. Of course this coupling provided not only musical harmony but also a much needed connection to the outside world for the inmate singers. By 1996 the choir was traveling outside the prison walls to perform concerts in Kansas City, Topeka, Johnson County and Wichita.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
1444 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, KS, United States, Kansas 66103
