watercolor; 18×24″

“My piece addresses the issue of rising homelessness in America. In January 2018, 552,830 people were counted as homeless in the United States; of those, 35 percent (194,467) were unsheltered. The homeless population on a single night represents 0.2 percent of the U.S. population, or 17 people per 10,000. I was inspired by an artist named Jim Conroy and in particular by his art piece ‘Anything Helps’”.

WINTON WOODS HS BIO: Winton Woods City Schools partnered with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in its ‘Gifted and Talented Introduction to Art’ for ninth grade students to focus on projects upon the theme of “Freedom.” Under the guidance of art teacher Megan Smarda, students explored “what freedom meant to them.” They researched, investigated, thought in-depth about the question and created artistic solutions to their thoughts. The project became personal for the students and sparked great passion in them.