World-renowned artist collaborates with Oklahoma prisons on Jelly Roll portrait

OKLAHOMA CITY – In an environment often filled with hopelessness, Dennis Jackson is bringing harmony.

Affectionately known as the “Dot Man,” this world-renowned artist creates breathtaking works composed of millions of tiny dots, each telling a story of unity and resilience.

“If you can’t capture that soul, you may as well give up,” Jackson said.

Now, Jackson is inviting more than 500 incarcerated men and women across Oklahoma to contribute to his latest project – each adding six dots to a powerful piece of art.

The goal? To create a work that embodies resilience and hope.

“Why only six dots?” Jackson said. “It’s part of the unity we are trying to create.”

At the heart of this project is a portrait of Jelly Roll, the acclaimed musician whose life story is one of perseverance and transformation.

“There are various elements in the portrait that tell his story,” Jackson said. “It tells his story of incarceration and how he got out. What he did with his life inspired me so much I wanted to do his piece.”

As thousands of dots come together, so do the stories of hope, redemption, and the strength of the human spirit.

“It is amazing,” Jared McCord, Mabel Bassett Correctional Center activities officer, said. “He is unbelievably talented, and you are going to be mind-blown!”

But this collaboration is about more than art – it’s about breaking barriers, fostering understanding, and finding beauty in unexpected places.

Though Jackson has spent 50 years perfecting his dot art, this marks his first collaboration with incarcerated individuals.

He hopes to complete the Jelly Roll portrait by spring 2026.