Mid-Iowa Health Foundation and Bravo Greater Des Moines
ART FOR SOCIAL AWARENESS: YOUTH HOMELESSNESS
Oct. 29 - Wellmark YMCA, 501 Grand Ave.
Oct. 30 - DART Central Station, 620 Cherry St.
Oct. 30 - Cowles Commons, 221 Walnut St.
What does a soft, white pillow outside on the street suggest? A collaborative sculpture made by artist Kub Stevens and youth who’ve experienced homelessness seeks to inform Greater Des Moines that young people have the ability to dream of better futures for themselves, but only if they have a safe place to dream. The Dream Cube, an eight-foot cube built with pillows, features an illustrated story highlighting three aspects of the experience of youth homelessness—unfortunately, a growing problem in our metro—in addition to steps we all can take to ensure children and young people find the comfort and safety to dream.
In support of a plan by Polk County Continuum of Care to end youth homelessness, an initiative recently awarded a nationally prestigious, federal HUD grant to enact its more ambitious efforts, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation and Bravo Greater Des Moines partnered to demonstrate, as a pilot program, that the arts can accelerate community initiatives and offer a more profound impact than policy and activities can accomplish alone. The arts are problem-solvers and community-builders, and projects seeking social impact are better with the arts as an integrated feature.
Efforts to end youth homelessness in Des Moines are at a tipping point. In 2019, the city of Des Moines received a nearly $2 million HUD grant to address youth homelessness. The Youth Action Council and more than 40 organization have developed a strategic plan that is now being implemented this month with initial grants awarded over the summer. Through art, young people will have a platform to not just be seen, but be heard, and to engage individuals in leading system and policy changes needed to address the complex challenges homeless youth experience.
Estuary Motion provided excellent videography and cinematic storytelling to help this project live beyond its three days of installation.
Group Creative Services offered research and case-making materials to enable this project.
