Detention puts people’s lives and wellbeing on the line. Help us ensure no one is left without support. Donate today!

art as advocacy

The Art as Advocacy Program empowers individuals in immigration detention to create and share original artwork and personal narratives. We provide art supplies and optional prompts to support reflection, healing, and self-expression. This program responds to the cultural erasure and emotional isolation of detention by positioning creativity as a powerful form of resistance. Art becomes both testimony and vision—exposing the lived realities of detention while affirming the humanity, dreams, and resilience of those inside.

Submitted artwork will be showcased in a community-centered exhibit in Chicago and preserved in a public digital archive. These platforms invite community members, educators, and the broader public to engage with the lived experiences of migrants through visual storytelling. By centering the voices of those most impacted, the program creates new pathways for connection, understanding, and collective action.

We hope to offer a small honorarium for participant submissions. Availability will be dependent on funding.

Interested in participating or volunteering?

Contact Mimi at mimi@migrantsupportcollective.org.

Join the Program

We are currently accepting up to 35 participants for the 2025 pilot, with priority given to individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+. After receiving their art supplies, participants will be invited to submit an original art piece, along with a title and a short written narrative describing their work.
To be eligible, participants must be:
  • Currently detained by ICE in the United States.
  • Referred by a registered nonprofit organization.
  • Able to send and receive mail through the detention center, a partner organization, or an advocate.
No formal or prior art experience required. Participants may submit as many pieces as they wish, but due to funding, MSC can only offer a small honorarium for up to two submissions.
Sign up to participate or volunteer

"Art involves the imagination. If we believe revolution is possible, we must imagine new ways of being. In this sense, art is crucial.”

Angela Davis

Guest Artists

We’re looking for 1–2 Chicago-based artists who identify closely with migration and detention issues or have lived experience in these areas. Guest artists will play a key role in shaping our final exhibit. Activities may include:
  • Offering guidance on curation, tone, and storytelling
  • Supporting and encouraging participant contributions
  • Collaborating with MSC to ensure authentic representation
  • Contributing your own creative work to the exhibit

A small stipend will be offered based on available funding. If interested, please contact mimi@migrantsupportcollective.org.

Volunteers

We’re seeking volunteers to support outreach, coordination, and behind-the-scenes efforts that make this work possible. No artistic experience is required—just a commitment to supporting detained migrants and amplifying their voices. Volunteer roles may include:
  • Helping coordinate mailings and supply kits for participants
  • Assisting with exhibit planning, promotion, or installation
  • Supporting data entry, translation, or communications
  • Offering general administrative or logistics support

Volunteers can be based anywhere in the U.S. If interested, please contact mimi@migrantsupportcollective.org.