'Outside-In': Artwork that debunks stereotypes about homelessness in London, Ont.
CBC
An art exhibit titled Outside-In aims to challenge the stereotypes and generalizations about homelessness in London, Ont. It uses photographs and art work to share the experiences of people living on the streets.
The entire project started with a simple mission, telling a story.
"We spoke to those living on the streets and got them to share their stories, you can see the life in their eyes when we took their photos, and that was a real joy," Gil Clelland, Wish to be Home's project manager, told CBC News.
"We're going to be walking people through the journey that many of us have had from seeing poverty and homelessness and having assumptions and beliefs from the outside, to learning more about them, where you can see them as humans."
The event is organized by 'WISH to be Home', a London-based organization associated with Ark Aid Street Mission.
Sabrina Schuyler was a single, working mother of four, who was struggling both financially and in her relationship.
Things took a turn for the worse when her children were taken away by the Children's Aid Society (CAS). She eventually lost her job and home.
"I didn't know how to get a house or a job, because I was so traumatized, my life just ended, being a mom was my job," she said.
In order to get through sleeping on the streets by herself at night, she turned to drugs to keep herself awake. This became an addiction -- which nearly killed her twice.
She connected with Clelland and his team at Wish to be Home, and now has a stable home. Schuyler credits art for helping to turn her life around, and has sold about 50 original paintings.
"Art was the reason why I quit drugs. I was surprised that I could even paint, I didn't know I had that talent inside me," she said. "It was losing an addiction and gaining a talent instead."
She described her experience of homelessness as people being judgmental toward her. "People look at you with disgust, they don't want to approach you, because they're afraid you'll rob them, but we need connection too."
Clelland believes that taking a deeper look at people's stories and understanding why they are in certain positions can foster a sense of community and connection, which people on the streets often lack.
"Understanding that homelessness is people. It's not just stats, or someone you can walk by, but are human beings who are often oppressed by issues," he said.
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