January 13, 2015, Tuesday - Home Sweet Home: An Affordable Housing Art Exhibit opens at Central Library

Home Sweet Home: An Affordable Housing Art Exhibit is open through Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015, in Cargill Hall Gallery at Hennepin County Library — Minneapolis Central, 300 Nicollet Mall.

The exhibit includes more than 100 artworks and poems by local artists and poets on the issues of homelessness, affordable housing or the meaning of home. It presents a mixture of mediums, including painting, sculpture and photography.

"As free institutions open to all, where people from all backgrounds come to learn, work and play, public libraries can be a unique forum for community issues," said Amy Mars, librarian and exhibit coordinator for Hennepin County Library. "I'm hoping that this exhibit compels people to start a dialogue in their community about how we can make sure that everyone has a place to call home."

The exhibit is free and open to the public. It was curated by the Family Housing Fund and sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.

It is part of a broader ongoing effort by Hennepin County Library to serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness. A 2012 Wilder Research study counted 10,214 homeless adults, youth and children in Minnesota, nearly half of whom are youth under 21.

Gallery hours are the same as the library's: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday.