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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Event puts homeless artists in spotlight

Penny Larocque Correspondent

Two nonprofits team up tonight from 5-9 p.m. to host the Art of Support, an art show and open house for the House of Charity Homeless Shelter, 32 W. Pacific Ave.

Hanging out at a shelter may not rank high on your to-do list, but don’t let a fear of the unknown stand in your way. “The event is meant to be fun,” says Barbara Loste of the Center for Organizational Reform.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive in costume, belt out a song, enjoy some music and meet “an incredible collection of people.”

A deejay will be on hand to inspire your feet, and there will be snacks, beverages and an assortment of hats (yes, hats), Loste says, to lighten the mood.

The work of 75 homeless artists will be displayed and available for sale alongside that of students, community members and Spokane artists Laveda Lipshitz, Wendy Franklund-Miller, Roger Ralston, Ruben Trejo and Lanny de Vuono.

Members of the Center for Organizational Reform and Homeless Artists and Writers Coalition, a project run by volunteers from Gonzaga University, organized the event to give the homeless an opportunity to show their artwork beside locally known artists, says Rob McCann, a social worker at House of Charity.

“It’s also a chance to get people to look at art and to make a connection between art and social services,” says Loste.

The event coincides with Spokane’s Fall Visual Arts Tour, which continues through Saturday.

The House of Charity provides meals, clothing, medical and mental health services and support to homeless or low income people at its state-of-the-art downtown facility. The Center for Organizational Reform’s mission is to support those who provide such services. Proceeds from the benefit will be divided between the two organizations.

“It’s an opportunity to get great art at great prices,” Loste says, and a chance to see how some of Spokane’s homeless population lives. “We’re all only a step away from it ourselves,” says Loste.

For more information on the event or the organizations behind it, visit www.corhome.org or www.catholiccharitiesspokane.org.

To get a schedule for the Fall Visual Arts Tour, check out www.spokanearts.org/ hottopics.asp.