Housing instability in New Jersey is rising at an alarming rate. Over 1 in 4 families do not have any emergency savings at all, creating economic struggle and the inability to afford basic necessities. While these facts are unsettling, organizations are working overtime to battle these conditions and support their community. HomeFront — founded by Connie Mercer and located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey — is one such organization. They offer Safe, Secure Housing, Tools for Self-Sufficiency, Basic Necessities, Support for Children and Personal Wellness, which notably includes therapeutic art programs like ArtSpace. Statistically, art therapy is beneficial to those in or recovering from high-stress situations, with more than 650 million people worldwide benefitting from this type of therapy.
HomeFront’s overall mission is to “end homelessness in Central New Jersey by harnessing the caring, resources, and expertise of the community. [They] lessen the immediate pain of homelessness and help families become self-sufficient. [They] work to give [their] clients the skills and opportunities to ensure adequate incomes, and work to increase the availability of adequate, affordable housing. [They] help homeless families advocate for themselves individually and collectively.”
ArtSpace and its therapeutic programs help to underscore that mission by providing paths to break the cycle of poverty.
Ruthann Traylor, ArtSpace Director, has always been moved by the economic disparity in our country. Since the age of five, she has memories of questioning her mother as to why some people didn’t have houses while others had big houses with pools and yards. It puzzled her why people were segregated by their finances. These questions followed her throughout her life, shaping her career. After years of traveling the U.S. and meeting and volunteering to work with the unhoused, she returned to university to receive a degree in Art Therapy. Currently pursuing her Master's in Social Work at Rutgers University, she calls this work her life’s passion.
“I moved from Jersey City to Hightstown, New Jersey, in 2005. I had been working with the unhoused in New York City and Jersey City. I was looking for a social service agency in the Trenton area that was working with the unhoused, and HomeFront was recommended. I made a phone call and was fortunate to get the founder. I asked her if she had an art program, and she said, ‘No, can you come in tomorrow to discuss?’ Twenty years later, after Connie Mercer gave me a blank canvas to create an art program, we have ArtSpace, SewingSpace, and Artie, a Mobile Art Truck.”
And thus marks the inception of ArtSpace, which has since grown to include SewingSpace, Arts Apprentice, and most recently, Art on the Move - four of the therapeutic programs provided by HomeFront.
“My involvement with HomeFront has changed their perspective on how art can be an essential tool for healing. I had been working with the unhoused in NYC and Jersey City. I knew how influential art can be in unleashing self-awareness, building self-confidence, inspiring, bringing joy, and relieving stress during difficult times. I experienced this while I worked at Sloan Kettering Hospital in NYC. Patients who had terminal cancer could experience joy and escape realities through the art-making process.”
ArtSpace Outreach Coordinator, and former Traylor mentee, Hope Vandegrift explains that “when you are experiencing homelessness and are in a shelter setting, oftentimes due to helpful but restrictive structures, it can feel like you lose some of your autonomy, especially as an adult, and often lose self-confidence as a result. Through art and art exploration, you can get a chance to exercise your own free will and decision-making. When our artists have completed pieces, we congratulate them and encourage their participation in our art shows. Nothing is a bigger confidence builder than seeing your art in a frame with your name on a tag underneath it in an art show. Never mind when they sell a piece; that’s next level!”
ArtSpace is designed to provide a tranquil, welcoming space where clients receive both visual art instruction and emotional support. The program allows its artists to develop entrepreneurial skills, with many selling their creations to earn a family income. The team welcomes all who bravely embark on the path of rediscovery and healing.
SewingSpace is a fabric arts studio where clients are taught basic sewing and how to take projects to completion. Totes, clothing, handbags, and pillows are just some of the commodities born of the program. Not only are the artists creating usable items, but they are also learning to take pride in their accomplishments. Some use their newfound skills as a novel path for income.
Arts Apprenticeship is a program where select clients are chosen to earn income working at HomeFront while also developing marketable life skills. They are empowered and mentored by the HomeFront staff. This program is made possible by donations from community members. As a sponsor of the Arts Apprenticeship program, your caring and resources provide materials, technology, training assistance, and educational support to these deserving HomeFront clients. These sponsorships allow them to gain life-changing experiences to help break the cycle of poverty.
ArtSpace's mission and work profoundly affect all it touches, staff and residents alike.
HomeFront resident Nicole has been deeply affected by the opportunities afforded by both ArtSpace and HomeFront. She says, “Because of the people in ArtSpace, I’ve made friends that I love dearly. I can be myself here as well. I’m so glad that I came to ArtSpace, I’m beginning to become more of a people person.” She declares that ArtSpace has been a source of pride and inspiration, adding, “I’m proud of myself for creating art and putting it into the art show here. I look forward to creating bigger and better art!
In her time with the program, Nicole has found that creating art is relaxing. It calms her nerves, relieves her stress, and provides her with a means of self-expression. Her one-year-old daughter relishes her time in ArtSpace as well, happily playing on a quilt while her mother hones her painting skills.
Echoing that gratitude is HomeFront resident Asia. “ArtSpace has changed my perspective on life. It has taught me patience and how to trust the process. For example, the time it takes to finish a painting, walking away, and being able to come back. Doing a little at a time can create something meaningful and amazing.” She goes on to say that “HomeFront is what you make of it. I love Mindfulness Mondays and Family Yoga, as well as the cooking class. HealthMatters is essential to the therapy at my time here, in addition to ArtSpace.”
Asia is a mother of three and a former grade school teacher. Having taught 2nd and 5th grades for five years, she loves motivating children and being a positive role model for them. She appreciates that her children also have activities to enjoy when they visit ArtSpace with her. The program has offered her the joy of creation as she looks forward to finding work that she enjoys and will allow her to be financially independent again.
Art therapy is statistically proven to benefit its clients, and it has proven pivotal to overcoming homelessness. Traylor provided an abundance of reasons, in an easy-to-view list below:
She explains, “experiencing homelessness is so many things. One can feel shameful, vulnerable, scared, hopeless, exhausted, judged, and perceived as less-than. Overall, it can be a dark time in one’s life, but:”
- Art can illuminate a difficult situation, bring joy, and relieve stress. Art-making can help one discover a talent they never knew they had and develop a self-awareness that can lead to growth. The art-making process contributes to (evidence-based) reducing stress and creating a sense of calmness.
- Art can also be used to advocate and educate about homelessness.
- Art can build bridges between socioeconomic classes, races, and ethnicities; it brings people of all walks of life together in a celebration of creativity.
- Art can teach entrepreneurship possibilities.
- Art can help people to be more resourceful, make it yourself. Take something old and recreate it.
- Art can be a family pastime that builds family bonding time.
- Art can give voice to a blank canvas. Often, people under stress don’t enjoy talking through their problems with a case worker they hardly know. Art can be effective in releasing trauma when it’s too hard to discuss.
- Art can raise awareness of an agency’s overall mission and work.
- Art can help raise funding.
There are many ways to support HomeFront’s honorable mission as a community member. If you are interested in donating items, volunteering, or making a gift, please visit their website and be a part of the change.
