Opening Reception: Friday, February 1 from 6 – 8pm
Exhibition Runs: February 1 – 21, 2019
Bringing the injustice of poverty and homelessness together, Recycled Heart is an exhibit, like all ArtStreet shows, that captures the diverse, distinct, and highly individual response of our artists to community-chosen themes.
ArtStreet artists work with the potential within themselves and discarded materials to create something new. Artists quickly learn to see materials in a new way-enabling them to transform raw material into artwork. The artwork highlights materials that are re-purposed and given a new perspective, much like those who are impoverished or living on the street must do with many materials and situations.
Art and recycling go hand-in-hand for ArtStreet Artists. They have the ability to transform old, recycled and reused objects into amazing pieces of contemporary art. ArtStreet, a program of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, and Harwood Art Center join together to present, Recycled Heart, an exhibit featuring mixed media and recycled art by ArtStreet artists who are well recognized for the skill in recycled art. Bringing the injustice of poverty and homelessness together, Recycled Heart is an exhibit that is uniquely poised to capture the diverse, distinct, and highly individual responses of ArtStreet artists’ interpretation of their community experiences in relation to poverty and homelessness.
Access to the arts is a social justice issue. ArtStreet makes access to the arts available to those least likely to enjoy it while holding a space to build community connections and increase awareness of the issues of homelessness through the art-making process. This year, Harwood Art Center and Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless celebrate more than two decades of partnership in working to address community issues of homelessness. ArtStreet Program Coordinator, Mindy Grossberg, describes this dynamic partnership and art exhibit:
“Making art, whether you are housed or not housed, is both a brave and revolutionary act. Creating community, breaking down barriers between those ‘with’ and ‘without’ in a world that encourages competition and fear of the ‘other’ is both a brave and revolutionary act. Putting energy into enhancing one’s artistic skills- even before you have mastered the act of being a ‘financially secure’ individual- is yet another brave and revolutionary act.”
– Mindy Grossberg, ArtStreet Program Coordinator, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless
ABOUT ALBUQUERQUE HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS & ARTSTREET
Founded in 1985, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (AHCH) provides a continuum of integrated services including primary medical care, dental care, behavioral health, art therapy and social services. AHCH serves more than 7,000 men, women and children throughout the year. They conduct more than 70 hours per week of outreach and provide services at their clinic at 1st and Mountain and at other sites in the community. For more information, please visit www.abqhch.org
ArtStreet gives community artists – homeless and housed – a common forum to share their experiences, coming together to make art and organize public exhibits like this. One component of the ArtStreet program is a community-based open art studio. ArtStreet brings together people from diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic levels, and artistic abilities to share common experiences by making art in a safe and supportive environment. All proceeds from the sale of ArtStreet art go directly to the artist(s) who created the piece. For information on purchasing a piece of art, please contact ArtStreet at 505-248-0817.
The Recycled Heart exhibition was made possible, in part, by funding from the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Harwood Art Center of Escuela del Sol Montessori. The project also receives funding, in part, from individual contributions and private foundations.