OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Artists who are or have experienced homelessness will display their work in a special exhibit at the Metropolitan downtown library during the month of October.

The show will be on display at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library from October 2 – 25 and is free and open to the public.

The artists are clients of the Homeless Alliance and participate in “Fresh stART,” a weekly open studio art program for people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City.

“Art allows our Day Shelter guests the space to work through and express emotions while providing an opportunity to interact with peers in a positive environment,” said Dan Straughan, Executive Director at the Homeless Alliance. “Fresh stART provides an enriching experience that show our artists that their ideas matter.”

The artwork to be presented at the library covers a variety of mediums including mixed media, collage, watercolor, photography, acrylic paint and colored pencil.

“As a public library system, we are a place where all are welcome with no purchase necessary,” said Kimberly Boldt, Director of Outreach & Engagement at the Metropolitan Library System. “To exhibit this while living our core values of diversity, inclusion, respect and people first; we chose to host this art show to start community conversations, demonstrate to our guests experiencing homelessness that they are welcome and showcase the beautiful pieces created by Fresh stART artists, as well as supporting our valued partner, the Homeless Alliance.”

The Downtown Library show will show a selection of pieces that will also appear at the Homeless Alliance’s regularly scheduled Fresh stART art show on October 27 at their campus located at 1724 NW 4^th Street from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. This show is also free and open to the public.

Fresh stART artists are able to sell their work and receive 80 percent of the proceeds from the sale of their artwork. The remaining 20 percent is retained by the studio to offset art supply costs.