PHOTO EXHIBIT TO OFFER VIEW OF HOMELESSNESS THROUGH EYES OF THE HOMELESS
 
            A photography exhibit opening June 20 at the Columbia Museum of Art will show the plight of Columbia’s homeless through the eyes of the people who live it daily.
Entitled While I Breathe I Hope: Columbia’s Homeless Share Their Stories Through Words and Images, the exhibit will be on display from June 20-August 3. The exhibit will feature 35 photographs taken by 16 homeless individuals in Columbia who volunteered to tell their stories through pictures.
The project sponsors provided cameras for the homeless to photograph daily challenges they face including legal issues, how they make money and the kinds of shelter they use to survive -- allowing the homeless to document and articulate their experiences rather than having them defined by others.
The exhibit is a unique collaboration among homeless individuals, the USC Department of Psychology, the Midlands Interfaith Homelessness Action Council, the Central Carolina Community Foundation, and the Columbia Museum of Art, with support from the City of Columbia and several local businesses, including Wal-Green and EarthFare. The project uses a method called Photovoice to promote community dialogue about issues from different perspectives, particularly those whose perspectives are often overlooked – in this case, individuals who are homeless.
According to project team leaders Greg Townley, David Asiamah and Dorian Lamis and their supervisor Dr. Bret Kloos, the exhibit is designed to increase awareness and understanding of the challenges the homeless face, to generate discussion about how the community can address these challenges and how people can get involved in helping the homeless in Columbia.
“The goal of the exhibit is to show Columbia residents a different view of people who are homeless, beyond the stereotypes,” team members said. “The photographs show the harsh realities of being homeless, but they also illustrate the strength of the human spirit to survive. The photos not only challenge individual assumptions about what it means to be homeless, but encourage a ‘we are in this together’ perspective rather than a ‘we against them’ mentality. The difference between us and them is very small.”
The exhibit is open to the public June 20 – August 3, 2008. Museum hours are Wed- Thurs: 10 AM – 5 PM; Friday: 10 AM – 9 PM; Saturday: 10 AM – 5PM; and Sunday: 1 PM – 5 PM.
Admission to the Museum is free for members, $5 for non-members, $2 for students, and $4 for military personnel and seniors. Admission is free on Saturdays. The Columbia Museum of Art is located in downtown Columbia at the corner of Main and Hampton Streets.
For additional information, contact Greg Townley or David Asiamah at homelessaction@hotmail.com or (803) 381-8136.