Visions from the Inside

Visions from the Inside

Visions From the Inside is an illustration project highlighting the personal costs of detention and the resiliency of the human spirit of migrants. The project is based on letters written by detained women and children at the for-profit detention center in Karnes County, Texas that illuminate their courage through their own words. This project was a collaboration between CultureStrike and the migrant-rights advocacy groups, Mariposas Sin Fronteras, and End Family Detention. These visual art interpretations were commissioned by CultureStrike and created by a diverse lineup of 15 visual artists from across the US.

The painful letters describe the journeys of migrant detainee mothers and their children, as well as the conditions they experience while in immigration custody. In the last couple of years Central American migrants, including many unaccompanied minors, have sought refuge in the United States. Those who survive the dangerous trek from Central America through Mexico are often apprehended by US Border Patrol and placed in detention, with little or no legal counsel, while they wait to see whether they will be allowed to stay in the United States with their families.

Unfortunately, for many, this journey ends in deportation back to the country from which they were escaping. We need a world without borders and detention centers! In the meantime, artists and migrants across the globe will continue to imagine the possibilities through culture and action.

CultureStrike is a national organization that empowers artists and social justice movements to dream big, disrupt the status quo, and envision a truly just world rooted in shared humanity through art. We believe cultural work is key to creating systemic change.
End Family Detention is a digital library composed by a network of families, volunteers, pro bono lawyers, social justice organizers, and digital activists dedicated to raising awareness and promoting action to end family detention.
Mariposas Sin Fronteras is a Tucson, AZ based group that seeks to end the systemic violence and abuse of LGBTQ people held in prison and immigration detention.