13th Annual Art From the Streets Show
The 13th Annual Art From the Streets Show and Sale of Art by People Who Are Homeless was held on Saturday and Sunday, November 5 & 6, 2005 at ARCH - the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless - 500 E. 7th, Austin, Texas.
The show was a GREAT success, setting a new record for art sales! The two-day event produced $73,148 through the sale of 1,400 works of art by 85 homeless and formerly homeless artists.
Congratulations and many, many thanks -
- to the 1,500 people who attended;
- to the nearly 100 volunteers who prepared the art for sale and did such a great job staffing the show;
- to the Austin Ad Fed volunteers who got the word out in such superb fashion;
- to the sponsors and many contributors; and finally,
- to the more than 100 artists who worked so hard through the year to complete the 2,500+ pieces that were on display and for sale.
Art From the Streets also brought in an additional $10,000 - through admissions, calendar sales, and other donations. These funds will be used primarily for art supplies for the twice weekly classes at ARCH, where most of the art for the show is produced.
Through sales of art they created themselves during the weekly classes, many of the artists will be able to buy food and clothing to get them more comfortably through the winter. A few may be able to secure transportation by purchasing a used car or truck. And a few others will actually be able to rent apartments and, at least temporarily, get off the streets.
However else they use it, we know that several of the artists will use apart of their earnings to start on next year's show - by purchasing art supplies and getting to work - wherever they can.
AFTS is a volunteer program that provides a safe and encouraging environment in which the positive spirit of homeless people is nurtured through artistic expression. AFTS is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. Additional support comes from 3M Austin, Theodore P. Davis Charitable Trust, Donald D. Hammill Foundation, Downtown Austin Alliance, and HEB. AFTS is a fund of the Austin Community Foundation and is made possible by the support of Women and Their Work. For more information, call (512) 440-0839 or contact info@artfromthestreets.com.