SAN FRANCISCO—The 2014 Art and Wine for Change Benefit on December 6, 2014, from 5-10 p.m. at the San Francisco Armory Community Center, will feature live theatrical performances by Carol Queen and Carol Leigh aka Scarlet Harlot, wine tasting from a private library collection, and silent auction. Supporting the Fund for Research on Homelessness and its associated youth photography project, Art and Wine for Change will preview a new exhibition of photo essays, Youth Trek in Pictures: Documentary Photos by Young People on the Move. Reflecting the experiences of traveling homeless youth, this collection of images has been described as powerful, arresting, beautiful, and sometimes surreal. All attendees will enjoy lively entertainment, wine tasting, and a silent auction featuring local and destination restaurants, theaters and entertainment, spas, healing arts, and limited edition prints from the exhibition. Donors contributing $100 or more will receive a gift of a limited edition photographic print from the exhibition or bottle of library wine from the collection.
“Most of my time I spent being homeless, or as I always called it ‘home free,’ I enjoyed," said Thea Frizzell, Youth Trek photographer and co-curator of “Youth Trek in Pictures.” "I met people all the time; I got to go wherever I wanted. Seeing how the country worked in different places. I was part of a huge scene of young travelers who could meet anywhere in the country. I've seen some of the most beautiful and crazy things because I chose not to live in one place. I had options to do anything, I could do migrant work, be in a band, make art, see everything, find my family. I ended up finding a bunch of amazing people from my transient lifestyle.”
Young, mobile, and often mistrustful of authorities, many homeless youth are living “under the radar” and “off-the-grid” and have trouble accessing essential needed services. The Fund for Research on Homelessness supports a cross-disciplinary program of research emphasizing the first-person voices of homeless youth across the race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality spectrum. Through a participatory approach, homeless young adults document their own lives through photography, mapping, evaluation, and testimony, offering a fresh perspective on the world and a critical assessment of the healthcare and social service institutions that aim to serve them. Research supported by the Fund for Research on Homelessness will be disseminated widely so that young people’s voices can be heard, and so their experiences and perspectives can inform a more responsive set of laws and policies, and more effective healthcare and housing initiatives.
This event is hosted by The Center for Sex and Culture, and space was generously donated by the San Francisco Armory Community Center 1800 Mission St. at 14th St. in San Francisco, 94103. The Center for Sex and Culture, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is fiscal sponsor for the Fund for Research on Homelessness, so donations above the value of event admission or the value of an auction item are tax-deductible. The mission of CSC is to maintain a library, gallery, archive and community space for preserving and sharing information and artifacts regarding sexual identity, products, and ideas and to support research about these issues. More information can be found here.
For the full event information, including the artist and venue details, ticket and donation information, click here or call (800) 838-3006(800) 838-3006. Light fare will be served throughout the evening. We regret that the space is not wheelchair accessible. Press passes are available upon request; please contact Andrea Papanastassiou by email.
Admission is $25, and tickets may be purchased here. Tax-deductible donations will also be welcomed at the event to support an innovative research project on homeless youth that is inclusive of sexual health and orientation issues.
