Bob Ballard is doing great things for the homeless. He is bringing them an opportunity to create. And he is doing great things for art lovers. He is bringing them art from an unlikely place: homeless shelters. He is doing all of this because he wants to shift perceptions.
The story of Ballard’s nonprofit, Hearts of Fire, is in this week’s VC Reporter. Excerpt:
Hearts of Fire has become a burning passion for Ballard, who admits, “I’m not trying to solve any problems, not find them housing and food. I’m just looking for a way for them to express themselves.”
His next project is to bring the art tour local and travel up and down the coast to the five counties suffering the brunt of homelessness. This year, he will focus on 25 shelters from Santa Barbara southward, with art workshops followed by local exhibits that can be attended by the artists themselves.
“We’re just really excited about what’s going to happen next,” he said.
This is only on newsstands until tomorrow, but you can always check it out online (but the newsstand version is better because you will get a better look at the featured artwork).
See the music video that inpired Ballard’s work after the jump.
P.S. Interesting coincidence, I just found this post on Hearts of Fire right here! And, Ballard has been spotlighted on Radio Ojai, too. Small world.
Image: “Floater” by D. Taylor
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That was a really nice piece. We should be ashamed, as individuals, and as a country, that we do not create homes for those poor people. There certainly is enough money to build shelters for them. People throw away millions on gambling that doesn’t win them a cent. How many billions are spent on cosmetics, junk food and drinks? How can those millionaires who build themselves the fancy houses and drive the expensive cars not feel shame. It is truly disgusting to see money squandered as it is….when there are so many homeless. We are a pitiful lot. Will people in our country ever wake up?
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