Retired Eau Claire School District art teacher Dan Ingersoll and unhoused people who spend time at the Community Haven House (CHH) day shelter, 412 Washington St., are seeking to turn art they have created into funding for additional daytime shelter hours, providing people in need a respite from the outdoors this winter.
“When people are labeled, their individual story, their life experience, and their potential contributions to the community are lost…”
-Dan Ingersoll
To raise money and awareness about homelessness, they are staging an art exhibit titled “More Than Homeless” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 in the RCU Dabble Box Makerspace of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St. A short ceremony is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. The art exhibit will be on display in the library’s Community Display space in Level 0 from Oct. 8 to Nov. 7.
“When people are labeled, their individual story, their life experience, and their potential contributions to the community are lost,” Ingersoll said in reference to the exhibit’s title. “Labels incubate fear and prejudice and facilitate barriers to individuals connecting on a very human level. I hope that this show will create an opportunity for folks in the housed and unhoused communities to make human connections that foster a deeper understanding of one another.”
Ingersoll, who volunteers at CHH, was inspired to put on the exhibit after working with unhoused people on art projects at the facility. Under Ingersoll’s tutelage, 27 CHH guests worked collectively to create three murals titled “Peace,” “Love,” and “Understanding.” After completing those works, they have worked on other pieces of art.
