We Are All Homeless is a visual arts project created by Willie Baronet in 1993.[1] Baronet, who works as a professor of advertising at Southern Methodist University, has collected over 2,200[2] signs from homeless people across the world which he displays through the project in a variety of exhibitions across the United States and United Kingdom. Since 2009, over 90 We Are All Homeless exhibits have been installed at NYU, The University of Pennsylvania, Cambridge University,[1] the Anchorage Museum,[3] the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art,[4] and other universities, museums, and galleries. The exhibits, which display a number of the signs that Baronet has collected, are meant to challenge viewers and make them confront issues that they often ignore and raise awareness about homelessness.
History
editBaronet began to buy signs in 1993, when he was working in the advertising sector, and originally offered people between $4 and $40 for their signs.[5] and as of May, 2014 estimated that he had spent over $7,000 on signs.[6] He quickly amassed a collection of signs through this but didn't begin to display them until 2009.[6]
In 2012 Baronet delivered a Tedx talk at SMU about We Are All Homeless.[7]
In 2016 We Are All Homeless was exhibited in Philadelphia and Cleveland for the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention respectively.[1]
Baronet houses his collection in a number of places including his office at SMU and his studio in Oak Cliff.[8]
Signs of Humanity
editSigns of Humanity is a documentary film produced and co-directed by Baronet and Tim Chumley which "explores the inter-related themes of home, homelessness, compassion and humanity".[9] The film depicts the filmmakers' month-long voyage across America, travelling to 24 cities, purchasing signs.[5] The documentary is rated 7.8/10 on IMDb.[10] For Signs of Humanity, Baronet partnered with the Housing Crisis Center in Dallas.[11]
Home is a Journey
editEvery year, Baronet organizes an event called Home is a Journey in which students at SMU make care packages for the homeless called "blessing bags" and march across campus carrying signs. In 2023, this event was coupled with a symposium which focused on the intersection of social justice and the homelessness, the role of higher education in fostering equity, and the role of non-profits in combatting homelessness.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c http://www.weareallhomeless.org/, Willie Baronet, We Are All Homeless, retrieved 11/04/2023
- ^ Carla, Coe-Specker (2023-04-04). ""We Are All Homeless" Brings Awareness Through Art To Those Experiencing Homelessness". wfaa.com. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "Anchorage Museum Opens Exhibit About Houselessness". www.anchorage.net. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ Wichert, Geoff (2023-03-30). "Many Souls Gather in UMOCA Exhibition on the Home". Artists of Utah's 15 Bytes. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ a b Jerry, Large (2014-07-02). "A sign that art is life on the street". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ a b Sickles, Jerry (2014-05-14). "Artist's massive homeless sign collection 'makes some people uncomfortable'". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "SMU prof gains insight from 24-city trek to buy signs from homeless". Dallas News. 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ Mooney, Michael J. (2013-08-23). "Signs of the Homeless". D Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ http://signsofhumanity.org/, Willie Baronet, Signs of Humanity, retrieved 11/04/2023
- ^ Baronet, Willie; Chumley, Tim (2016-04-15), Signs of Humanity (Documentary), OtherSide Pictures, Veronica and Richard Sayles, We Are All Homeless Productions, retrieved 2024-06-07
- ^ Goldberg, Eleanor (2014-05-15). "This Artist Has Spent $7,000 On Homeless People's Cardboard Signs For Really Good Reason". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "Home is a Journey March and Symposium – Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education & Human Development". blog.smu.edu. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-07.