The Inside Show is a variety show produced at Columbia River Creative Initiatives, an artist-led creative platform in Columbia River Correctional Institution, a minimum security prison in Portland, Oregon. The show is produced in prison, where inmates take on roles of host, performer, writer, and cameraperson. This robust collaboration of eccentric possibilities challenges perceptions of incarcerated individuals and what happens ‘on the inside’. The show’s content includes Microwave Magic— a cooking segment where inmates showcase genius ways of making gourmet meals with minimal ingredients and a microwave; comedy sketches; a goofy sports roundtable; art segments; poignant discussions; braiding demos; musical acts and more.

(from left) David “Ohio” Phipps, Jason Melcado (hidden), Scotty Freeman, Gabriel “Chino” Whitford, Michael “HM” Lovett, Eugene “Scooby” Brown, and Irvin Hines on the set of The Inside Show making chocolate cheesecake on Microwave Magic, a cooking segment.

Season One of The Inside Show will be aired on the facility’s in-house channel, broadcast on public access channels in Portland in partnership with Open Signal, and available on the YouTube channel Columbia River Creative Initiatives, with new episodes added every two weeks. Hosted by Mark Arnold with Fred Armisen as episode one’s guest host. The series is directed by Salty Xi Jie Ng and produced by Jacob Diepenbrock, Salty Xi Jie Ng, and Spencer Byrne-Seres.

Columbia River Creative Initiatives is a series of artist run programs and classes held at Columbia River Correctional Institution, a minimum security prison in Northeast Portland, Oregon.

Inside collaborators include: Andrew “Turbo” Reeves, Antonio BDS Gonzalez, Carlos Cotto, Chris CB Elliott, David “Homer” Edmunds, David “Ohio” Phipps, Gabriel “Chino” Whitford, Irvin Hines, Jacob Diepenbrock, Jason Melcado, Jeff Kenton, Joe Sumner aka Durt McGurt, Joshua “Lone Wolf” Tonkin, Logan Winborn, Mark Arnold, Michael “HM” Lovett, Philip Delater, Robert “Bobby” Swint, Raymond Rabago, Robert “Flex” Gibson, Scotty Freeman, Cash Carter

Special thanks to Columbia River Correctional Institution, James Hanley, Karen Sullivan, Heather Wilks, Open Signal, Fred Armisen, Harrell Fletcher, Portland State University Art & Social Practice Program, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Logo by Gabriel “Chino” Whitford