Special Projects at CRCI span scale, form and duration, ranging from small one day workshops to year-long endeavors. Below is a list of current and past projects that have happened through Columbia River Creative Initiatives.

Inside-Out Exhibition Series

With support from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, CRCI has begun a year long collaboration with Outerspace Gallery and Erickson Gallery, to program group exhibitions and projects from artists both inside CRCI and outside of the prison.

The Inside Show

Artist and CRCI facilitator Xi Jie Ng (Salty) currently directs an ongoing cable access variety show with artists and performers at Columbia River.

CRCI Comedy School

The Columbia River Correctional Institution (CRCI) Comedy School included weekly comedy classes and quarterly comedy shows inside the walls of a men’s prison in North Portland from 2018-2019.

Answers Without Words

Initiated by artist Anke Schüttler, AWW was a year long collaboration between artists at CRCI and photographers around the world.

Top Tier Residency

Initiated by artist Jetcet, Top Tier Residency was a self initiated artist program inside of CRCI, offering invited artists to work on projects on the top tier of CRCI.