“I don’t need any of us to surrender hope, and that’s what this story is about,” DeRoberts stated. “For me, artwork is a vessel of affection. It’s a narrative. It’s right here to heal or inform or navigate, for not solely the artist however the viewer via one thing.”
As a result of her cat saved her life as the fireplace burned, a photograph of the cat sits on the entrance of the gallery.
DeRoberts stated the exhibit is supposed to spark dialogue about what makes house and neighborhood — each actually and metaphorically. After being compelled to go away her rental as a result of hearth and being relocated to Denver for a number of months, DeRoberts stated she got here to a brand new understanding that most individuals are a lot nearer to homelessness than they notice, and the privilege to be relocated into a brand new house shouldn’t be one everybody shares.
“It’s more durable than ever to seek out housing. Any of us could be unhoused at any second, and having compassion for those who are unhoused and having compassion for one another is essential,” DeRoberts stated. “I wished this to really feel like a sheltering surroundings that anybody can stroll into and really feel held and be held and supported emotionally, by the neighborhood, one another and in addition in a bodily sense.”
In the end, DeRoberts needs her expertise to instill somewhat extra empathy amongst all who stroll into the gallery and see her work.
“Even our hurtful and arduous experiences can mould us into being higher,” DeRoberts stated. “As a lot because it feels darkish, it feels gentle to me as a result of it’s who I’m.”
Julio Sandoval is a multimedia journalist with Rocky Mountain PBS. You may attain him at [email protected].
Alison Berg is a multimedia journalist who could be reached at [email protected]. Her Twitter is @alison__berg.
