"A Place to Call Home" is a project by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and is designed to create awareness, and produce solutions to the challenges, facing homeless children and teens in the city.
"A Place to Call Home" is embarking on a major effort to equip homeless children with the skills and resources that are necessary to keep them housed and healthy.
Most of the work for the current project is located inside a former crack house, and is part of a unique three-part installation inspired by interviews with homeless children.
The inside of what is now known as the "Art House" includes mixed-media animation.
"It's rare for someone to let you into their private life. So you want to make sure you're respecting their word, but also the individual," said Damon Reaves.
A dining room, with table and chairs made entirely of paper tells the stories of unfortunate children dealing with tragic circumstances.
"You're working with something that's so precious, the voices of these young people," said artist Ernel Martinez. "It really draws you into their experience."
The facades of more than 30 homes were painted in the 3800 block of Melon Street.
Pedro Ortiz, who was fully involved in the project, knows what it's like to dream for a home.
"What I'm doing right now, I wish someone would have done it when I was homeless. I was at that point," said Pedro Ortiz.
More than 1,000 Philadelphia children will sleep in a shelter, and the city's Mural Arts Program, the nation's largest, is determined to make sure more people recognize it, and more importantly, do something about it.
The Art House is open to the public Friday night and other selective dates.
Link:http://muralarts.org/event/place-call-home-home-where-art
