A new exhibit displayed at Rochester City Hall is highlighting some artwork that we might not otherwise get a chance to see.

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The collection of work on display at the Link Gallery in City Hall is called 'Picturing Our Dreams,' and for some of those artists, the dreams can be as basic as a loving home or even freedom.

The artists are all teens ages 15 to 19 incarcerated in the Monroe County Jail or Monroe Correctional Facility and enrolled in the Arts, Literacy and Classroom Community Program.

Members of the New York State Literary Center and the Rochester City School District go into the jail and work with the teens. In the past, some of the artwork has been displayed in visiting rooms at the jail or correctional facility, but this is the first time the paintings and poetry have been on public display.

The artwork has come to City Hall thanks to City Councilman Dana Miller.

Some paintings tell stories about our Rochester or American history; others are powerful portraits. There's a box of dreams, as well as poetry to accompany the brushstrokes.

Dale Davis is the executive director of the New York State Literary Center. She says the effort is all a partnership between the Literacy Center, the school district, and the jail.

"We raise the money every year because we think it's important that the young people learn to communicate. We're talking about young people who do not communicate. They act impulsively with acts of violence many times, because they don't know how to communicate," said Davis. "So part of this is the poetry, the writing, it's basically literacy."

The center does not follow up with the artists, who most likely are now out of jail. They too are invited to a reception at City Hall from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday night.

The artwork is on display through December 12th.