Using Art to Help the Homeless

Willie Baronet is using his artwork to raise awareness of selfless acts and good deeds. He drew inspiration from seeing the homeless on the streets begging for food or change and seeing people who will purposely walk around them or simply have the strength to ignore a person in dire need.

Baronet admits that he used to be one of those people that would walk around a homeless person to avoid their glance or pretend to be extremely busy. Eventually the guilt of his poor actions caught up with him. He used try to justify his actions by telling himself that providing a homeless person with money was not a good idea because he would never know whether they actually used it for food or if they wasted it on drugs/alcohol. He came to realize that whether or not the money he would give to them was used for food did not matter, what really mattered is that he did his part. If he did his part then what happened next was out of his hands, but at least he had provided them with the opportunity to get what they needed.

In 1993, Baronet decided to take on a project to make up for the years he spent in ignorance and was going to make an attempt to inspire others to take action.

Baronet would approach the homeless and ask if he could buy their sign, most of those who he approached were quick to agree to the offer. They were grateful that they could sell their signs but were also curious as to why some random stranger would want to buy their sign. When asked Baronet would tell them it was for an art project, but he himself was not very sure what kind of artwork he could put together with all the signs.

Some of the people he came across became emotional when making the exchange, because they poured their heart out on the sign. Some had written out the situation they were in, others cried when they came to realize how their sign had long been ignored and then suddenly a man came in offering to buy it.

One woman Baronet will forever forget had her sign made by her husband who died. His name was written on the back of her sign and when she sold it she could not help but break down crying.

"I became aware that they each had a reason they were on the streets," Baronet said. "Human beings trying to get through their lives, dealing with adversity, looking for love, safety, connection. Just like you or me."

Baronet had spent over a decade trying to figure out what kind of artwork he would do with the signs. He painted on them, drew on them, covered his apartment walls with them, but he was never satisfied with the result. As he continued to collect signs he went on a trip to South Africa for grad school to pursue an MFA in Arts and Technology with the hopes of discovering what kind of artwork he was supposed to be making.

When he mentioned to his professors what he had been doing they encouraged him to continue to explore it as the basis for a possible body of work. After more years of exploring Baronet had his first solo art show in fall of 2009 . His work consisted of digital prints, homeless signs mounted on mirrors, one sign suspended from the ceiling in the center of the room, many signs were spread out across the floor, and a video with the signs he collected over the years that dissolved from one to another with the soundtrack of a car moving through traffic.

A homeless man was hired by Baronet to walk around the gallery holding a sign and talk to the guests.

After the art show he came up with a project he called "We Are All Homeless". Baronet stood at a key intersection in central Dallas and handed out cards to drivers that directed them to the project's website to get more information and find links to homeless shelters in the area.

As of today Baronet continues to use his artwork to make a stand for the homeless and encourages people to get in touch with their morals and not overlook the people on the streets asking for their help. He is planning on taking a trip from Seattle to New York to collect signs and connect with homeless people in 24 different cities.

Check out Baronet's blog to learn more about his project and see how you can join him in taking a stand for the homeless:
http://weareallhomeless.blogspot.com/