Hidden Hunger and Homelessness

As you drive by the Good Cheer Food Bank in Bayview you will notice a splash of color on the lawn. Debra Calkins has created a month-long exhibit titled “ Hidden Among Us.” This a visual representation of the statistical information for last year’s use of the Good Cheer Food Bank. The markers are color-coded to represent the number of children, adults and seniors who used the food bank as well as the general population. Each marker represents 5 Whidbey Island residents who accessed the food bank at least once in 2009. For South Whidbey, this came to 28.4% of the population with a breakdown of 1,665 children, 2,985 adults, and 396 seniors out of a population of 17,741.

Calkins is passionate about using her art publicly as a social commentary to generate awareness and discussion. “I tried to tie the tape to the bamboo stakes in public as much as possible to spark discussion on what I was doing” Debra says. “Every person I spoke with was surprised at the amount of hidden hunger and homelessness that we have here on Whidbey Island. People sometimes have a hard time visualizing statistics and numbers, so this is a good way to drive home how many people are at risk for going hungry without the aid of local food banks.”

This is Calkins’ second art installation following last year’s “Memorial” installation depicting the deaths of military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq. She is a mixed media and installation artist who earned a certificate in Fiber Arts from the University of Washington last year.

“My approach to my public art work is to work with the participants to build consensus, with the goal of creating a site-responsive piece of art. I was born and raised on a small farm in Snohomish County. I became a teenager during the 1960’s. The movements that started in that decade – women’s, peace, and civil rights – influenced my view of how the world could be. These movements continue to influence me today. Despite those movements, I was told you couldn’t make a living making art and to choose something else. It was fourteen years before I returned to art making. In 2000 I took the next step in my career as an artist. 2003 saw the first of my exhibiting my work to the outside world. I have been consistently exhibiting since. I completed the Fiber Arts Certificate program at the University of Washington in 2009 and took the Edge program at Edmonds Community College in 2010.”

“Many things catch my attention as an artist. I have things I want to say. I have discovered a passion for social commentary. I cannot think of a better to live my life.”

“Making art is not an option, it is critical to a rich, full life. My work starts a conversation, between the work and the viewer and between viewers. I use layers of materials to provide complex layers of meaning; meant to continue a dialogue and to invite and compel the viewer to examine the work again and again.

It is a discovery process – of thought, of meaning, of self.”

Isn’t there a certain beauty to caring?

Good Cheer!