'Art of Housing' event Feb. 27 to benefit Housing Families First

The Art of Housing event will bring together art lovers and community members at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to support Housing Families First, a Henrico-based nonprofit dedicated to helping families facing homelessness build a stable foundation through permanent housing. 

The event, which will feature artwork from 14 local artists and a silent auction, will raise funds to support families experiencing housing instability in the Henrico region.

Housing Families First has committed 25 years to striving to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness, positively impacting the lives of more than 4,300 children and adults through its programs.

"We're also looking ahead to the next 25 years, and we certainly hope that enough progress has been made in housing and homelessness that we'll have far fewer families that need our help because they're doing well in housing," said HFF Executive Director Beth Vann-Turnbull. 

The Art of Housing event was inspired by the organization's approach to partnering with families to find creative solutions to housing issues. 

"We often talk about partnering with families to help them overcome their housing crises, which requires sort of an art and a science," Vann-Turnbull said. "There's a lot of art to looking at each person's individual strengths and needs and saying, how can we best partner with you to get you where you want to be when it comes to housing? And so we thought about art and science and decided, hey, we'd love to do an event that's art-based called 'The Art of Housing.'" 

By partnering with local artists, Housing Families First connects the vibrant Richmond art scene with a pressing community need. 

"We thought about taking a challenge that you find in Richmond, Henrico, and nationally – which is affordable housing and homelessness – and pairing that with what's best about Richmond, which is the vibrant art scene and the community spirit around art," Vann-Turnbull said. 

Local artist Jordan Bruner, who is among the featured artists, shared her passion for the cause. 

"I'm honored to have my work featured in this event and to support Housing Families First,"  Bruner said. "There's nothing more fundamental than having a safe place to live, and it's heartbreaking that so many families face homelessness, especially in a country with so much wealth.  I'm grateful that art can be a part of raising awareness and making a difference."

Tickets for the event, which is open to the public, are available online.