FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno’s unhoused population has a safe space to create art thanks to the Fresno Arts Council’s “Art Haven” program and a partnership with a Fresno dispensary.
The Artist Tree, which opened in Fresno in 2022, has put a financial investment into the program. Fresno Arts Council’s Executive Director Lilia Chavez, spearheaded the project and says the number of transient unhoused people in Fresno is an issue, and programs like the Art Haven use art to help heal the mind.
“It needs to be addressed in a way that helps people transition into housing, and develop a positive sense of self so that they can give back to the community,” said Chavez.
However, Chavez says she needed to address all financial obstacles first. To Chavez, it was not enough to start the program: she wanted to make sure she could promise longevity.
“I had to secure enough funds to keep it going for a few years so that we wouldn’t set it up and then have to shut it down because of a lack of funds.”
At the onset of the pandemic, Chavez says Art Place America contributed a grant of $70,000 which she immediately set aside for the Art Haven program. She says the grant allowed her to set her eyes on finding an instructor, a temporary space, and individuals interested through a partnership with the Poverello House.
The Poverello house helps find transient individuals interested in the program through bulletin boards and according to Chavez, that partnership helped everything fall into place.
“People self-identify,” Chavez said, “so there isn’t a real stiff selection process – arts are for everyone.”
The program soon had funds, participants, and a teacher, but to guarantee that the program could survive the tests of time there was one missing piece of the puzzle. That missing piece turned out to be a partnership with The Artist Tree. The dispensary’s co-founder Lauren Fontein says the program has been a dream of The Artist Tree’s founding team for years.
“We believe in the power of art to heal, and we empower artists from all backgrounds to showcase and sell their work through our stores and our community benefits efforts.” We look forward to the continued expansion of Art Haven and to featuring artists from the program in our in-store art exhibits.”
The Artist Tree Co-Founder, Lauren Fontein
According to Chavez, the dispensary’s decision to sponsor the Art Haven program is critical to ensure that no one benefitting from the program has to worry about having the rug pulled from underneath them.
“It happens too often that a funder comes in with resources for a project and then the project is gone,” Chavez said, “I’m just eternally grateful for their willingness and interest in supporting this program. I think it demonstrates an understanding on their part of how important it is to give back to the community.”
Chavez says that anyone from the public interested in supporting the program is welcome to donate to the Fresno Arts Council and that even pennies, nickels, and dimes help.
