Mütter Museum
Unhoused: Exploring Experiences and Promoting Empathy Through Art and Research
Lecture
Contemporary artists Willie Baronet and Leah den Bok join researcher Dr. Rosemary Frasso and Eddie Dunn– a person with the lived experience of being unhoused– in a compelling discussion focused on the public health crisis, the collaboration that led to the exhibition, and their hopes for what can be done to address the challenges faced by people who are unhoused. This event is free.
About the speakers:
Willie Baronet has been buying and collecting signs from people experiencing homelessness since 1993 as part of a long-term art project titled WE ARE ALL HOMELESS. In 2014 he began a 31-day cross country trip to buy signs in 24 cities, which was the subject of the documentary "Signs of Humanity." His work has been exhibited across the United States and United Kingdom.
Leah den Bok is a fashion and portrait photographer focused on capturing the stories and images of people experiencing homelessness. Her project, Humanizing The Homeless, has taken her to major cities worldwide, including Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles, to document the struggles of those affected by homelessness. Leah aims to raise awareness of homelessness through her work. She has compiled her powerful images and stories into a book series titled "Nowhere to Call Home--Photographs and Stories of People Experiencing Homelessness." She donates 100% of her profits from her books and exhibits to local homeless shelters.
Eddie Dunn
In 2014, while experiencing homelessness and using drugs in Philadelphia, Eddie Dunn met artist Willie Baronet and was featured in Baronet’s documentary film, . Months later, while in recovery, Dunn reconnected with Baronet and shared how his life had changed, ultimately joining Baronet for a series of public events geared toward fighting stigma around homelessness and opioid use disorder. In 2017, the pair teamed up with Jefferson professor of Population Health and have worked together on several arts-informed projects designed to shed light on the challenges faced by people in need.
Dr. Rosemary Frasso is a health equity researcher and public health educator. Dr. Frasso earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy & Practice, as well as two master's degrees from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her current research focuses on the integration of qualitative and quantitative methods in projects designed to address social justice and public health challenges. Dr. Frasso embraces traditional and creative data collection approaches, including, but not limited to, arts informed research, tag-a-long interviews, photo-elicitation interviews, photo-voice, freelisting and consensus-deriving group approaches. Additionally, she has worked on several cross-disciplinary projects with educators, artists and economists who are committed to using qualitative methods to support and enhance community collaborations and to amplify the voices of vulnerable populations.
Event timeline:
6 PM: Panel Discussion
7 PM: Moderated Q&A
Questions?
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