By Eau Claire Regional Arts Council
When people struggling with homelessness are given help it often comes in the forms of housing, food, and energy assistance. But now a unique partnership between Sojourner House, the local homeless shelter operated by Catholic Charities, and the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) is bringing artistic beauty into their lives as well.
Students of the popular “Wine & Whimsy” and “Coffee & Canvas” workshops in the Janet Carson Gallery will now have the option to leave their paintings at the end of class as a donation to Sojourner House. The paintings then will be given to people who are placed in a new home.
Roberta Kostka, development associate at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse, explains how this partnership formed.
“As we are helping some of the homeless staying at Sojourner House find sustainable housing through the Housing First project with Western Dairyland, the idea was formed to not only have a furnished home for them but a home that gave a feeling of warmth and hope,” Kostka said.
“By providing artwork for the walls, we strive to give them that feeling that there is indeed hope for things to get better,” she added. “We appreciate the collaboration with ECRAC and anyone else who wishes to donate art to these projects.”
ECRAC is thrilled to be part of this new project, said Rose Dolan-Neill, the group’s visual arts director.
“When we were approached by Catholic Charities with this opportunity for collaboration, we jumped at the chance to provide assistance through art,” Dolan-Neill said. “We are very excited to help those in need by providing beauty and inspiration in their lives.
“When someone donates something personal that they’ve created, whether it is a quilt to keep people warm or a painting to inspire creativity and joy in a person’s life, they really feel a sense of community and know the positive impact they are making on people’s lives,” she added. “We hope that these donations of artwork will demonstrate the accessibly of the arts in people’s lives and inspire people to heal through creativity.”
Artists interested in participating in the project can simply let their instructor at any “Coffee & Canvas” or “Wine & Whimsy” workshop know that they wish to make a donation of their work.