Artwork is being showcased from people living on the streets of Windsor

Batool Yahya says she sees so much creativity and talent for the arts within people living on the streets of Windsor, and that it's being overlooked.

Yahya, who's an artist herself, works in social services at Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) a program that connects people experiencing homelessness to things like services, support agencies, medical care, clothing and food.

"If they had the opportunities that I have as an artist, they would be thriving a lot more than they are," said Yahya.

"I remember this one client came in and she showed me how she made paint out of like toothpaste and pen. Like if you had actual paint, you would be like a master class artist. I think part of the reason I want to do this is because it's not fair."

In January, Yahya applied for, and was granted city funding under the Arts, Culture and Heritage Fund to put towards a gallery project highlighting artwork from people living on the streets of Windsor.

The showcase is at Artspeak Gallery on Wyandotte Street East.

It featuresmore than 15 artists, and will be up for two weeks from Aug. 14 to 27 during "regular business hours," according to Yahya.

It's called Colours OfResilience: Artwork by those experiencing homelessness.

"They don't have the same opportunities that I do. I just want to get them on the same equal playing field as other artists. Just because someone's homeless, it doesn't mean that they lose their humanity and they still deserve equal opportunity."

As part of the project, and in advance of the gallery, art workshops have also been held at the Welcome Centre Shelter, Windsor Youth Centre and H4.

Artists' work will be up for sale with 100 per cent of the funds going to the person who created it, she says.

"These are people who have fallen on hard times and being able to sell their art could be like the hope that they need to see that there's more to life than the way that they've been living. Sometimes an artist just needs an opportunity."

Yahya says an evening reception is planned for the end of the showcase's first week on Aug. 18, which will include live music.

"My goal for it is to be like super duper fancy. Like I want our artists to feel like they're worth a million bucks."

What's the expected community response?

Breanna Baker-Young says she thinks Windsor's homeless art showcase can shine a light on all of the "different walks of people" that make up that segment of the city's population.

The child protection worker at Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society is helping organize the event and says she has experience working with them and understands how sometimes they can be inaccurately perceived.

"I'm hoping that the general community can step up to the plate and kind of, as rude as it sounds, get over their fears for a couple of hours no one's going to be putting anyone in a dangerous situation," said Baker-Young.

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With his new series, David Porter wants to show people that the homeless in Fredericton are humans just like anyone else.

She says although some people might be nervous to go to the gallery, she hopes they still do to see a "different side" of the community.

"The outside people that don't work in social work or don't work with homeless people might have a different view on them because a lot of the views that you do hear aren't the nicest or the most respectful in a sense. Where it's a lot of blaming, a lot of finger pointing and a lot of making assumptions about why they do the things that they do."

According to Baker-Young, from the art she's seen and the people she's met, the gallery is just "scratching the surface" of the talents of some who call the streets of Windsor their home.