San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Gregory, Jessie V., Laura, J.M. and Vesta by Bear Guerra - Photos by Bear Guerra
In this week's issue, I wrote about the (In)visible Project, an exhibit that hopes to give San Diegans insight into homelessness. As I described in the article, the exhibit will be a mobile, modular structure built to mimic city streets. As viewers walk through, they'll see 40 of Bear Guerra's black and white photographs, some of which will be paired with audio—the person in the picture telling his or her story—that'll be triggered when the viewer walks by. Here's a sketch of the exhibit, designed by installation artist Omar Lopez:
I've been covering homelessness for 10 years (nine of them here) and I see this exhibit as potentially having a bigger impact than any new housing project or shelter or social-services program. Tackling any social issue is all about changing public perception—and the first step to doing that is seeing the individual and not the group.
For the project to move forward—the plan is for it to debut at the San Diego Contemporary Art Fair in September—it needs funding. So, show up tonight to El Take it Easy (3926 30th St. in North Park) for a fundraiser and project preview (CityBeat is a media sponsor). Or, contribute directly here.
