Grace Restaurant, Portland
What makes these pieces unique is their purpose, as well as what influenced the artists’ work. Prior to painting, these artists met with a diverse group of powerful guest speakers who discussed what home meant to them. Among these speakers were a Sudanese immigrant, a Hurricane Katrina survivor, elders who currently reside in assisted living, and the executive director of Furniture Friends, a local volunteer organization which collects and distributes gently used furniture to those who need it.
These poignant, thought-evoking conversations prompted the artists to think about what home truly means to them, then express that meaning in their artwork. Additionally, these speakers inspired the artists to donate the proceeds raised from the prints sold at this event to Furniture Friends and ShelterBox, two organizations dedicated to creating homes in Maine and around the world respectively.
The artwork displayed is designed to inspire the viewer to think of what home means to them, and also to raise awareness and a reminder that after news of a natural disaster has slipped from the headlines, pressing issues regarding the human cost of a lack of housing remains. At 5:30 pm the FHS Chamber Singers will perform two selections from the balcony in the restaurant.
