Giving Voice To Homeless Youth Through Mural Painting

MIAMI - July 6, 2015 - PRLog -- The Children’s Gallery and Arts Center, a nonprofit organization for the visual and the performing arts, announces the opening of show “Art Is Home” that will take place Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 4 PM to 9.30 PM at the gallery/studio located inside Cauley Square, cottage # 15.

This project started in Novemeber 2014 with the idea of providing homeless youth currently living in shelters with an artistic venue to express their emotions and feelings, while creating awareness to this important topic. “All these children have witnessed at least one episode of domestic violence. This is a very serious issue affecting families at all levels, and people should get involved in helping. Violence in general is not about anger; it is about power and control. The issue is very complex but we don't want our next generations to believe that violence is OK, or sexy or glamorous. Domestic violence has taken many lives already and has destroyed many families”, said Natalie, Executive Director of the arts organization who alongside her husband artist Carlos Franco, have been developing art projects with disadvantage populations since 2009 in Miami-Dade County.

Carlos explained that “this project is close to the heart of many artists, since a lot of them have experienced homelessness at some point in life. Being homeless is terrible but becoming homeless as a result of domestic violence or human trafficking, is worse. I can’t begin to imagine what these individuals and families with children have been through. The issue here is not only providing assistance to the victims; the big picture here is that we all need to work together toward preventing domestic violence and human trafficking, so we can end it. Artists can’t be impassible; we have to join the movement and continue creating awareness. Art is great for healing but also for engaging people all over the world”.

As they put it …“art could be seen as a shelter, a refuge, an inner place where you feel important and safe, but also as a very powerful communicator”. This project is a labor of love. The night of the show, all artworks created by these youth will be put up for sale, and funds collected will be donated to the Safespace Foundation; which is a nonprofit organization as well that provides a myriad of services to victims of domestic violence since 1978. Artworks not sold will be given to Safespace for auctioning.

The project has been sponsored by Miami-Dade County Department Of Cultural Affairs, Homestead Center For The Arts, Macy’s and many individuals. The art show will last only two days, from Saturday July 25 to Sunday the 26. The gallery is expecting good attendance and great outcome. This is evidence that art is used for a greater good.

For more information call (305) 258-9901.