Seymour Art, a collective of artists who are or have been homeless, staged their first successful show at Patrick Heide Contemporary Art at the beginning of January.
Seymour Art is a collective formed by a group attending a City of Westminster College art course run at West London Day Centre. The collective’s aim is to celebrate the achievements of artists who are homeless, empowering them towards further career opportunities.
Despite the bad weather almost 100 visitors attended the opening night to meet the artists and view their diverse works. Artworks on show ranged from portraits and photography to a blog detailing the experiences of a man who walks the landscape and sleeps under the stars.
City of Westminster College Business and Community Studies Lecturer Sam Curtis, who works with the group and has helped them organise their first show, says: “The launch went really well - even though the snow kept a few people away. It was also a sociable event. The artists were able to ‘network’ and talk about their own approach to art, which is great experience for them.
“As a result of this first successful show, Seymour Art has already been offered the possibility of two further exhibitions at London galleries – which is a real confidence boost for everyone involved with the collective.”
Many of the artists also found fans and buyers on the night. Robert Mitchell, who creates intricate watercolour postcards describing his life on the road, sold 70 prints (he won’t sell originals as these are posted to his friends). And prolific artist Derek Franks made over £200 from his charcoal portraits – enough to fund a trip to the Netherlands, the birthplace of his art hero Vincent van Gogh.
Seymour Art member Joseph Williams, who contributed a film to the show about the collective and its helpers, says: “We’ve got a bit of momentum now – everyone here has made an investment of time and energy and the exhibition is a spur for us to keep going. The homeless aren’t a class, they’re a diverse group. Homelessness can happen to anyone. This show demonstrates that we’re not just vulnerably housed, we’re people who have hobbies and passions.”