Press release from the Humboldt County Association of Governments:

A free, interactive event featuring artists and their work invites the community to join a creative conversation — and brainstorm solutions – regarding Humboldt’s crucial need for affordable housing. 

The drop-in happening, called Sheltering: Interactive Open House Event, runs from noon to 6 P.M. on Saturday, October 28, at Jefferson Community Center at 1000 B Street, Eureka. 

“Sheltering: Interactive Open House Event” features the work of seven organizations and artists, recipients of Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grants. Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG), which awarded the grants, sponsors the event.  

“Each of the grant recipients tells a kind of housing story,” says Stevie Luther, Associate Regional Planner at HCAOG, “by using the arts to encourage the community to brainstorm differently on affordable housing solutions.” Using the arts, rather than meetings and forums, HCAOG hopes to energize all ages to consider how to unravel the snarl of affordable-housing issues like student homelessness and general housing insecurity at many economic levels. 

The work of multimedia artists at the open house event include Sequoyah Faulk-Kellog’s short documentary, “Humboldt is Home” and a three-part video by Arcata House Partnership on creating The Grove in Arcata’s Valley West neighborhood. 

More multimedia projects include a video showing a stage play, “A Woman’s Place Is In Her Home,” and a new song by Lyndsey Battle, through grants given to Arcata Playhouse. James Adam Taylor’s audio-visual-photographic project, “Portrait of Place,” portrays locals across the economic spectrum who are facing housing insecurity.  Another REAP grant recipient, City of Blue Lake, created a video and website highlighting housing problems facing Dell’Arte students. 

Work by visual artists featured at the open house include Taylor Snowberger’s creative project, “Housing Insecurity: A Humboldt Community Comic Book,” and Margaret Kellermann’s “Studio 95501,” a full-scale 8-by-12-foot model of a shelter prototype, made with unusual art materials. 

A colorful mural-in-progress at the event will invite neighbors of all ages to add their affordable-housing brainstorms. The mural and other feedback will be taken seriously as part of the event’s call for community response. Luther from HCAOG says he expects the event to be a place where constructive ideas for future affordable housing in Humboldt can be seen in a creative light.

The event is free. More information can be found at hcaog.net/housing-stories.