“Blossoming” blooms into artistic flower at the Harwood Art Center.
Produced largely by unhoused artists, the exhibit consists of work by artists enrolled in Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless through ArtStreet of Albuquerque. The show marks the program’s 26th anniversary.
“It’s very colorful with a lot of floral elements to go with the theme of the show,” Elise Gill, the program’s coordinator and art therapist said.
“ArtStreet is a safe place to make art,” she continued. “We like to put money back into clients’ pockets so they have the opportunity to sell them.”
Some artists chose self-portraits to express their changes through time and the pandemic.
Justine Formain’s acrylic “A Peaceful Life” is part of a series.
“It’s her final piece of the series,” Gill said. “She likes to do a lot of colorful abstracts. The images are like the telling of a story.”
Angelique Tepper’s “Soul Collector Transfer 2” is a mixed-media piece and one of a series of photo transfers. To create it, she printed a photograph on paper, glued it to canvas, then wet the paper and rubbed it off. The ink remains on the canvas. Others exchange canvas for wood block.
Gill’s own “Character” is a self-portrait in acrylic and mixed-media on canvas.
“It’s a process painting,” she said. “I didn’t know what the final product would look like. I just did one element at a time.”
The work reflects her experience in graduate school.
“It’s about the personal growth journey I was going through at the time,” Gill said.
ArtStreet provides space and materials for the homeless to visually express themselves, she added.
“They’re part of our permanent supportive housing program,” she said. “We got a diverse amount of styles. We have a lot of painters and a significant amount of sculptors, as well as found objects, drawings and collage.”
All of the materials are donated.
Over the past fiscal year, ArtStreet has sold more than $1,500 worth of art.
People who are experiencing homelessness or in transition often deal with multiple losses, trauma and isolation, Gill said. They need a safe way to reconnect with their community in a therapeutic process. The galleries are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
