the story
What Linkage is
“The Linkage Community forms a creative network with and for people directly impacted by incarceration. Together, we dismantle isolation, build bridges of opportunity, and connect through creativity.”
— the mission, linkagecommunity.org
Linkage began in the early 2000s as a mentorship program inside the University of Michigan's Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP). In 2022 it became the Linkage Community — co-led, statewide, member-driven. On August 1, 2025, it launched as an independent organization, and the network has grown from 22 members in 2021 to more than 200 artists today, across Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Flint, and beyond.
linkage.studiois the community's creative home on the web: every artwork, every video, every newsletter issue, every podcast episode, every show — made by members, owned by the network, with no third-party ads. Ever.
Bridging Gaps
Referrals to social services, travel assistance, technology coaching — the practical bridges back.
Belonging
Community meals, weekly Coffee & Chat check-ins, gatherings. Nobody returns alone.
Development
Exhibitions, artistic training, art supplies, the Emerging Artists program — careers, not just comebacks.
Linkage Community · 2431 Ferry Park St., Detroit, MI 48208 · 313.816.5550 · info@linkagecommunity.org