By Sanjeev Selvarajah

“Cold Ass Honkey” painting and fabric portrait by Danielle Festa.

Over the weekend, with good spirit and energy, the Washington Street Art Gallery at 321 Washington Street in Somerville hosted a fundraiser, “A Heart Needs a Home” – many artists got together to acquire donations, for the homeless, of money and/or canned goods or winter wear –100 percent of proceeds went to the Somerville Homeless Coalition. Even though the opening reception has passed, bids will keep collecting till the 26th, the day after Christmas when gallery hours end, where they were on display every Saturday from noon till four. Jump aboard the silent auction: take a piece home as a gift and bid as frugal as you want, for a cause that pays itself forward.

“We decided to hold this fundraiser on behalf of the SHC because they pro-actively, generously, mindfully, and kindly meet the needs of people who are without—or almost without—the one thing we all require: a home in some way, and in some form” says curator and artist Gretchen Ann Graham.

Mark Alston-Follansbee the Executive Director of the SHC elaborates: “Part of what really makes Somerville great, in my opinion, is that people do care.  It’s not just talk; people act.  And this event at Washington Street Art is a perfect example of that.  Let’s work together and build the kind of community we want and I hope it’s a place where everyone has enough food to eat and a safe place to live.”

“I love events like the Washington Street Art’s “A Heart Needs A Home” for lots of reasons.  Here you have artists, hopefully not starving artists, but artists thinking of people who need help more than they do.  I think they get how we all are in this together and we have to hang together or we hang alone,” says Mark.

Saturday’s pull at the opening reception of the auction ended up at 1200 dollars. That’s just on the first day. Furthermore, images like Ms. Graham’s photography exhibited a persevering work ethic that carves out a space for the artist, nailing away an exit door through an obstacle, as the slideshow divulges. Her photography shines, when sometimes you need a little more from Santa.

Go to http://www.washingtonst.org for more information.