Some prisoners are said to still be asking after their art, following the Corrective Services Department's transfer of 107 inmates to the John Moroney prison at Windsor last month amid tensions over privatisation.

The annual Inside Art exhibition, showing at the Wollombi Cultural Centre on weekends until the Anzac weekend, includes about 50 works by inmates at Cessnock and, for the first time, St Heliers Correctional Centre at Muswellbrook.

The Muswellbrook inmates were invited to participate due to a shortage of works.

Included among the exhibited works are photographs of others that were intended for the exhibition but were lost in the upheaval of the prisoners.

Curator James Whitington said while he was disappointed the popular exhibition was again jeopardised, he hoped the controversy would not overshadow the vibrant and often beautiful paintings and ceramics.

Last year's showing was almost cancelled as well, with prison authorities unwilling to be involved.

Mr Whitington said their involvement had a rehabilitative effect on prisoners and promoted self confidence.

"They are really very fine works," he said.

The partner of one transferred inmate who is a recognised artist said she had been unable to find out from the department where a folder of his sketches had gone, and suspected they had been thrown out.

His works are among those that only appear as photographs.

However, a Department of Corrective Services spokesman said yesterday it was most likely the works had been stored, and would be returned to their owners.

He said he could not find out the whereabouts of the missing artworks yesterday, but said it was unfortunate the works were unavailable for the exhibition.

"When prisoners are transferred, the property they will need immediately is transferred with them and the rest of their property often follows later," he said.

Many of this year's artists are indigenous.