“Finding Home” a documentary photography art exhibit about homelessness in Alaska opened on Friday, December 6th 2019 at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage, AK. The show is comprised of three separate and distinct bodies of work that all discuss and address different topics surrounding homelessness in Alaska.
In the center gallery at IGCA - International Gallery of Contemporary Art, the suspended frames follow the life and story of Felicia Cavanaugh and her journey out of homelessness. This body of work is called "Genesis".
Photo credit: Donna Marie Photography
Homelessness in Alaska is an often misunderstood, complex and growing problem that deserves to be explored in depth. Over the last several years I have documented the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman in the Interior of Alaska. The black and white images suspended in the center gallery chronicle part of Felicia’s life towards the end of her journey with homelessness. Through her story, we shine a new light on homelessness via the gallery creating a designated transformative space to discuss the unique challenges and obstacles our homeless populations face to overcome their circumstances.
Felicia is one of many who face or have faced homelessness in Alaska. Before we can begin to solve homelessness we must be able to discuss the homeless population as people who belong in our society. A great deal of the work is dedicated to humanizing the homeless. Most people who have experienced homelessness have kept at least one item, something small- usually, something they might be able to wear or put in a pocket. I think of this item as a hope talisman and have found that it usually was given to them by someone who made them feel very loved. The black and white hand portraits displayed in the center gallery on the television monitors take a personal look into the hearts of our most vulnerable neighbors and the items they have kept despite losing all other worldly possessions.
So, how do we solve homelessness?
It’s a question almost every community has asked. The issue is multifaceted and the answer is complex. After many discussions with local organizations who work extensively with our homeless populations as well as asking people who have faced homelessness themselves, I asked them to give me a single word that captures some of the core ideas, constructs, and elements that would help prevent homelessness. This collection of words has manifested in little wooden magnets at the back of the center gallery. Each word represents one idea, that had it existed or had been attainable or available then one person would not have been homeless. It’s the beginning of a much longer conversation of how we move forward to solving the issue at large. As you remove magnets for purchase from the house, you reveal the faces of the people who are helping. All proceeds from the Finding Home artworks will go towards traveling the project around the state to aid advocacy and education of our homelessness in Alaska.
The North Gallery houses the third part of the project. Often, the homeless and other disenfranchised groups lose their ability to control their own narrative. Their stories are constantly being told for them and not by them. The Through Our Eyes project is a nationwide project that encourages participants to tell their own stories the way they want them presented in the world. Disposable cameras were given to local people in Fairbanks who were experiencing homeless this past August with one simple instruction- photograph your life.
The purpose of the Through Our Eyes Project is three-fold: emotional, physical and spiritual. We want to provide joy in creating art. We want the photographers to feel the gratification that comes with being part of something bigger than they are. We want to provide awareness & support. We want communities to engage with different groups of people, learn how to love them and support organizations who serve them. We want to provide hope for those who are hurting.
The photographs remind us that we all share the human experience no matter our circumstance.
The exhibition was on display from Friday, December 6th through Friday, December 20th at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage, AK. The show will travel to Fairbanks in 2020. Stay tuned to learn about upcoming dates and venues.
If you are interested in donating to the project, please navigate to my GoFundMe page here.
To take a virtual tour of “Finding Home” at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art click here.
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