Source: UM-Dearborn
Photos By: Matthew Stephens
Assistant Professor of Health and Human Services Vitalis IM and University of Michigan-Dearborn senior Brianne Sheltraw stands with a curated gallery of greeting cards she and others received from incarcerated family members as part of “Postmarked From the Inside: An Exhibition of Greeting Cards Made in Michigan Prisons” at the University of Michigan Detroit Center.
Assistant Professor of Health and Human Services Vitalis IM and University of Michigan-Dearborn senior Brianne Sheltraw stands with a curated gallery of greeting cards she and others received from incarcerated family members as part of “Postmarked From the Inside: An Exhibition of Greeting Cards Made in Michigan Prisons” at the University of Michigan Detroit Center.
‘Postmarked from the Inside’ — an exhibit curated by a UM-Dearborn professor and student — explores the personal stories and weight handmade cards carry.
Brianne Sheltraw stands in the middle of an art exhibit. She’s surrounded by hand-drawn images of Minnie Mouse, flowers and angels.
“Here’s one that’s very special,” Sheltraw says, pointing to a card from her father that is decorated with Hello Kitty’s signature white cat with a red bow. Her dad pressed flowers inside the card. “I kept the flowers because my dad picked them for me,” she explains.
Sheltraw, a UM-Dearborn senior, describes how her father took her on bike rides, surprised her with 7-11 Slurpee runs and often played games with her as a child. “He was like my best friend. When he was with me, he was present. He was fun. He’s my dad,” she says. “But he’s also an addict.” Sheltraw’s dad sent her the cards when he was in prison for a 10-year sentence connected to his addiction.
While opening the cards, Sheltraw remarks how they marked important milestones in her life and represented the evolution of her relationship with her dad. “When people go to prison, the whole family is sentenced,” she says. “This is the first time I’m showing these cards. They’ve been tucked away in a box for years — until now.”
A health and human services major who plans on a career in social work, Sheltraw is one of several curators of “Postmarked from the Inside,” an exhibit at the U-M Detroit Center that shows how people in prison craft messages and materials to keep in contact with their loved ones on the outside.
There are nearly 100 cards in the exhibit: anniversary, birthday, holiday, get-well wishes and thinking of you messages. Assistant Professor of Health and Human Services Vitalis Im is the chief curator of “Postmarked from the Inside.”
