Gateway Center Unveils Inspiring New Artwork
ALBUQUERQUE - New artwork was recently installed throughout the Gateway Center. The artwork was created to help inspire people seeking recovery and stability and was created by artists with their own lived experiences with recovery or homelessness.
The art was created through the OffCenter Community Arts Project and the Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless ArtStreet program. Both programs offer studio space and supplies to all artists, including those in our unsheltered community. In 2023, Offcenter Arts held a series of workshops where artists created artwork for the Gateway Center. Meanwhile, artists through ArtStreet selected the paintings they wanted to send to the Gateway Center. Several pieces of art were selected by each program, and the city narrowed it down to 48 pieces of artwork to purchase through the Public Art Program.
"It was inspiring to see the depth and range of work the artists created through this program,” said Executive Director of OffCenter Community Arts Project, Mika Maloney. “So often what we see at OffCenter is that by providing people with the space and materials to create, and letting them know their perspective matters, people will create the most beautiful, interesting, inspiring work."
“Everyone at ArtStreet was thrilled to hear of the opportunity to share their work with other individuals in the community,” said ArtStreet Program Coordinator, Elise Gill, LMHC. “This art purchase not only symbolizes the intrinsic value of artists’ time and efforts, but it also serves as a vital outreach to individuals staying at the Gateway, as a means to say, ‘I see you, I feel you, we are here.’”
The artwork was created with the Gateway Center's mission of providing a pathway to housing in mind. This includes our Housing Navigation Center, a 90-day program that connects people in our community to casework and housing. In its first year of operation, the Housing Navigation Center served 467, connecting many of them to services, including housing.
"We want folks facing homelessness or addiction to feel welcome when they come to the Gateway Center, and supporting artists with lived experiences who understand these struggles and showcasing them is one way we can do that,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The Gateway is a place of hope and healing, and we continue to add services so we can help 1,000 people a day.”
Artists we spoke with say they hope their work inspires others on their healing journey.
"My final piece is dark and chaotic but contains elements of hope and beauty, such as a flower sprouting from an abandoned high rise,” said Artist Arlaina Ash. “I hope these pieces will show those who come to the Gateway Center that another person has traveled a similar journey."
“My art, like my life, is a messy process. I reassemble broken pieces into something new,” said Artist, Darla Wirth. “Following a life-altering accident, I’m using my second chance at life to make art because blank walls are boring, but making art is therapeutic to the creator and the viewer.”
“Each piece of artwork lining our hallways tells a story about what’s possible through recovery,” said HHH Director Gilbert Ramirez. “The Gateway Center is already making stories like this possible by creating more pathways to sobriety and housing.”