The Visible Invisible provides art to Columbus youth experiencing homelessness

Seth Shanley
Thu, 27 Sep 2018 04:24:54 +0000
Arts & Life, News, Columbus, homeless, homeless shelters, ohio state, philanthropy, Star House, student organization, the visible invisible, youth

Visitors observe featured art at The Visible Invisible’s yearly art gallery. Courtesy of Juli Sasaki

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther reported that over 1,300 individuals under 24 years old were housed in Columbus homeless shelters in 2017. At Ohio State, one organization aims to provide these youth with support and expose them to new possibilities.

The Visible Invisible is a student-run organization with a mission to create art with youths experiencing homelessness in the Columbus area.

Jillian Davis, a third-year in art history and vice president of The Visible Invisible, sees the organization as a way to combine her interests in art and activism.

“It’s a unification of my passions. I was personally fulfilled by art history, but I also felt that I needed to help other people or use it in a different way,” Davis said. “My interest in art lies in its power and the goal of The Visible Invisible is to provide self-empowerment through art and its capacity for change.”

The Visible Invisible hosts art classes twice a week at the Star House, a 24/7 drop-in center for ages 14 to 24 experiencing homelessness in Central Ohio.

The Star House provides a number of amenities, including housing, counseling and employment opportunities. The goal of the center is to reconnect youths with the community, according to the Star House’s website.

Esther Kaplan, a fourth-year in comparative studies and president of The Visible Invisible, said the art classes at The Star House are a way for The Visible Invisible to help troubled young adults escape the difficulties of their everyday life and introduce them to new outlets of expression.

“[We help by] opening up the art room and providing another space where they can feel like the weight of the problems they are dealing with outside the Star House aren’t as heavy,” Kaplan said. “There are so many youth that don’t think they’re capable of making anything. Art can be accessible to everyone. Whether you’re someone that makes super intricate paintings or just likes to draw with colored pencils.”

The Visible Invisible not only aims to help Columbus youth, but hopes to give its student members a stronger sense of relation to the Columbus community.

“It’s been a way for me to connect with Columbus throughout college and understand the community surrounding OSU more,” Kaplan said. “Its helped me broaden my perspective on what I can do to contribute to the community because I never would have thought that helping out with art classes could be a way that I could help someone.”

Aside from art classes, The Visible Invisible also hosts an annual art gallery every spring on campus. The gallery features work from the members of the class.

The Visible Invisible hosts art classes at the Star House from 5-7 p.m. every Wednesday and noon to 2 p.m. every Saturday. Students interested in joining can send an email to visibleinvisibleosu@gmail.com.