Shelter House of Iowa City kicks off first Artists Ending Homelessness auction. How you can help.
About 30 artists from the Iowa City area have donated a piece of art for one cause: to support Shelter House and people experiencing homelessness.
The first Artists Ending Homelessness art auction at Shelter House begins Monday. People can visit Shelter House’s website to view and bid on the art donated. The money raised will go toward Shelter House’s programs.
Shelter House is a nonprofit that provides emergency and permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness. It also provides resources and services for these individuals, including mental health assistance and job assistance.
Laurie Zaiger is the auction co-chair for Artists Ending Homelessness.
She told the Press-Citizen that, as an artist, she hopes people will see this event as an opportunity to have original artwork to enjoy, ones that will remind them of the greater cause they supported through it. As for participating artists, it’s an opportunity to have others engage with their work, Zaiger said.
“The biggest goal of all is maybe to broaden the audience of people in the community who are aware of what Shelter House is doing to support people who are in great need right now, and the way that they're doing that is phenomenal,” she said.
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How fundraisers like Artists Ending Homelessness support Shelter House
According to Shelter House’s annual report, it provided 734 individuals with emergency shelter in 2020, and 16% of them were children.
Christine Ralston, director of development at Shelter House, said that fundraisers like Artists Ending Homelessness pay for general operating support, such as staffing, supplies, rent and more.
The artists' fundraiser is timely.
With winter approaching, Ralston said Shelter House will first have to tackle finding seasonal help to run its winter shelter.
Since 2015, Shelter House has maintained a winter shelter, essential for people experiencing homelessness as temperatures drop.
According to Ralston, Shelter House also increased services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It opened an additional shelter last winter, which created additional costs. Shelter House also began administering Iowa City’s Eviction Prevention Program, adding to the nonprofit’s responsibilities.
And Shelter House will soon open a new permanent supportive housing building called the 501 Project, which is located next to its emergency shelter at 429 Southgate Ave., also adding to its expenses.
Permanent supportive housing provides individuals with affordable housing and support services to keep them housed, address their needs that may affect their ability to stay housed and build the skills needed for independent living.
There is already a list of 36 tenants planning to move into that space, according to Ralston.
“The costs are never-ending, and the needs are never-ending,” Ralston said.
“I've had folks ask me before, ‘How much would it cost to fully fund your work or how much would it cost to end homelessness?’ And the answer is, it's not possible. You can't throw money at it. You can't throw money at a problem that has systemic origins. We could provide significant additional services with additional funds, but ultimately there will always be more work to do."
As of mid-November, Shelter House has provided $1.3 million in direct assistance to people for rent, utilities, late fees, and security deposits — and the number will continue to grow as the year continues, Ralston said.
Ultimately, Shelter House’s goal with Artists Ending Homelessness and other fundraisers is to engage with different parts of the community, Ralston said.
It’s a chance to educate people about the work Shelter House does, but also reach people who may have previously felt they couldn’t support Shelter House.
“It's easy to see that an organization has a $4 million budget and say, ‘Oh, I can't do anything,’” Ralston said. “Well, actually, every $10 also feeds a family for several days. So it's really good to be able to reach people in different ways and to empower them to help in whatever way feels right to them.”
Previously: Iowa City allocates $35,000 to Shelter House for new homeless outreach position
Art as a way to help at the local level
As of January 2020, there are an estimated 2,647 people experiencing homelessness on any given day in Iowa, according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Zaiger has been a longtime volunteer at Shelter House. About once a week, Zaiger visits one of Shelter House’s permanent supportive housing lodges and creates art with the individuals there, from crafts to drawing and painting. But the art is just a way for Zaiger and the individuals at the lodge to converse and connect.
As a retired art teacher who worked at City High and Mount Vernon High School, Zaiger has found that art is a “meeting place” for people.
“Art just seemed such a way to bring people from all different walks of life, and that was why the art auction, which would bring people who wanted to buy art and artists who were making art and then the Shelter House community, we all come together in this, and art makes it happen,” she said.
The art donated to the auction ranges from paintings to jewelry, including Zaiger’s own piece, “Flyover Country.”
It’s a mixed-media landscape, with the hills made out of green stamps, the sky a map that has Iowa on it and Monopoly house pieces. The idea, Zaiger said, is that she is looking back on her childhood in the Iowa City area.
Another donating artist is Jenny Gringer, a self-taught linocut printmaker based in Iowa City.
Her piece, a multi-block color print, features the faces of a pug with a quote she’d found on Twitter: “The world is falling apart. Be kind. Be understanding. We’re in this together.”
The artwork came out of what Gringer called “post-2016 darkness,” when she sought to find something that could connect with hope, communicate a positive message and an action that everyone can take.
Gringer said that buying the art at this auction supports a larger purpose.
“Buying from small, independent artists is a great thing to do. But when you can also buy from independent artists in a way that's supporting your community and helping end homelessness is (a) pretty noble goal and very local,” she said. “To be able to help at a local level is a wonderful thing to do.”
How to participate in the Artists Ending Homelessness art auction
Visit the Shelter House’s website at shelterhouseiowa.org. Under the events tab, click on Artists Ending Homelessness. There, you will be able to browse the art separated into categories. Each piece will include the name of the artist that donated it as well as a description.
The art auction will end Friday.
People can also donate to Shelter House at any time by visiting its website.
According to the Artists Ending Homelessness description, all winning bidders will be contacted to pick up their items from Shelter House.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Shelter House in Iowa City holds art auction to support nonprofit
