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Faces of the Homeless
A permanent arts installation for the Willa Gill Resource Center, Kansas City, Kansas
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When we think of the Homeless, we often envision a tattered older man holding a sign by the off ramp of a highway. The reality is far different. The average age of a homeless person in Kansas City, Kansas is 7 years old. In order to bring this story to a broader public audience, artist Hugh Merrill and Chameleon Arts and Youth Development have undertaken the ongoing community arts project, Faces of Homeless Youth. The goal of this project is to increase the self worth and self-image of homeless teens in Kansas City, Kansas, while enhancing public understanding of the impact of homelessness on children and youth.
Working in collaboration, the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Homeless Liaison Staci Pratt and community artist and Kansas City Art Institute Professor Hugh Merrill has guided a group of homeless teenagers living and going to school in Wyandotte County in creating journals, arts and performance projects over the past 9 months. This work has led to the production of a series of posters and large-scale graphic images of the youth installed at the Willa Gill Resource Center, in Kansas City, Kansas since June 20, 2008. The images are meant to help people connect with the reality of homelessness while providing the children with the skills to develop a coherent and insightful artistic voice, to support their academic ability, build self-esteem and community. Seldom do homeless communities have the opportunity to participate in the arts or have positive images of them selves exhibited in soup kitchens and resource centers where they go for help and food. The homeless community using the Willa Gill resource center is excited and proud and cherishes the art work of children that come to their facility
Collaborators anticipate exhibiting the project in Washington, DC in the fall of 2008, during the National Conference for the National Association of Educators for Homeless Children and Youth.
The work was produced by Hugh Merrill concept and project director, Matt Hilger Kansas City Art Institute, graphic design and photography and Patrick Moonasar digital and artistic consultant.