Amazing Art From Joliet's Prison Ruins: New Museum Exhibit

JOLIET, IL - Who would have thought that the destruction of multiple buildings at the Old Joliet Prison property would become an asset to the Joliet community? But it was.

This month, more than a dozen of the Joliet area's outstanding artists came together to showcase their artwork at the Joliet Area Historical Museum. Their new display is called Art From the Ashes and the featured special exhibit will remain on display until October.

All of the artwork has one thing in common: they were pieces of ruins from one of the buildings that were destroyed and vandalized during the recurring wave of arson fires from a couple years ago. Afterward, the city of Joliet partnered with the history museum to regain control of the long abandoned property still owned by the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Last August, a remarkable party was held inside the Old Joliet Prison property, an event that drew at least 3,500 guests and raised more than $130,000 for additional prison restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, people visiting Joliet, including visitors on the historic Route 66 tours, can now see a new museum exhibit unlike any other.

A total of 25 separate pieces of artwork are featured in the new Art from the Ashes display.

"The artist group went into these buildings that were burned down or vandalized and utilized material that people would normally see as garbage or rubbish," Heather Bigeck, collections and exhibits manager at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, told Joliet Patch on Tuesday.

While the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most prominent museums in the country, the new display in Joliet is unlike any other.

"You won't see artwork from the Joliet Prison anywhere else," Bigeck explained.

The Joliet Historical museum is located at 204 N. Ottawa St. For more information, visit the website for the Joliet Area Historical Museum here.

All images via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak