Art Against the Odds: MIAD exhibit showcases works of art made by men and women in prison

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A new exhibit, "Art Against the Odds," at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) is shining a spotlight on the work created by men and women in prisons across the state. 

Of the more than 200 works of art, more than 90% is from artists still in prison. 

From sculptures made of toothpicks to paintings, it's become a way for many of them to express themselves while behind bars. 

More impressively, aside from welding or knitting classes, none of the prisons have a formal program for the inmates. 

Creating art in prison comes with many challenges, like buying supplies. 

"They really don't have access to much so they use whatever they can. Most often that's a piece of paper and a pencil. So you'll see a lot of work in the show that's just very realistic pencil drawings, but the artists get incredibly adept at doing it. We have artists who have rolled pieces of paper to make a paper building to build sculptures. We have one fellow artist who has created portraits of inmates using junk food wrappers," said Debra Brehmer, co-curator of Art Against the Odds.

The exhibit is completely free to visit. It's now open and will be until March. 

You can also write a letter to the artists after walking through the exhibit.