In his book Homeless Souls, Jake Anderson explores who the homeless are. His perception of this population changed from beginning to end of the project, which involved pairing photographs with statements, poems, and artwork created by the subjects. He says that after immersing himself in this work, he “began to see individuals simply existing.”
Anderson‘s “Homeless Souls” exhibit of photographs, poetry, and prose — an extension of his book — will be on display at the Hartford Public Library from January 23rd through March 6, 2011. The opening reception will be in the library’s Hartford History Center (third floor) on Sunday, January 23rd from 2-3pm. At the reception, Rennie McQuilkin — publisher — will be speaking about the book, and Ernie Blue will be performing slam poetry. The Hartford History Center site notes that “copies of Homeless Souls will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds going to support Hartford Public Library in its service to the homeless.” The reception is free and open to the public.
On February 4th, the Hartford Public Library will be hosting another art opening, this time in the ArtWalk Gallery. Adrienne Gale’s “Birth/Place” exhibition will run through March 20, 2011. The Hartford-based artist describes her work as dealing with “language, specifically etymology and the connections that exist between words through their histories. Using my own visual symbols of trees, roots, seeds, and nests, I explore language and text in a variety of media.” If you’re wondering why her name sounds familiar, it may be due to her creation of Hartford Prints!, a letterpress studio that has taught city students about printmaking.
The opening reception will be from 6-8pm and is also free and open to the public.