Haven for Hope

A long-standing community program developed by the San Antonio Museum of Art for Haven for Hope is building a new path to creativity and kindness for residents of the shelter for people experiencing homelessness located downtown on Frio Street.

With the generous support of the M.E. Hart Foundation and Valero Benefit for Children, SAMA’s partnership with Haven for Hope began in September 2014 to fill a gap in the shelter’s services.

Each week, the Museum holds classes on Haven for Hope's campus to share a range of art activities with participants. The classes are available to children with their families and women. Approximately fifty Haven residents currently participate in the program.

Activities that parents and children can do together promote family unity, while opportunities for women to engage in new methods of creative expression help build confidence and self-esteem.

Examples of the art activities for children have included paper sculptures, personalized backpack keychains, and summer sun catchers. For women, SAMA aims to create works of art that are both functional and decorative. Projects have included marbled mugs, sewn heating pads, and hand-printed notebooks. During the holidays, projects often double as gifts, and these festive sessions are immensely popular in both the children’s and women’s classes. Attendees explore a variety of media and studio techniques with guidance from SAMA’s educators and engage in positive social interaction and community building.

This year, the program’s coordinator, Itzel Vilches, launched a class-wide project to highlight the importance of art for participants and the opportunity to build community for future residents. Program participants are creating painted rocks that will be placed on a path that weaves through Haven’s newly renovated butterfly garden. Twice a month, program participants gather to work on the project, sharing their journeys and personalities through their artwork. So far, program participants have completed about a hundred painted rocks. The rocks are intended to commemorate their time at Haven, as well as extend compassion and encouragement to future residents. The project will be completed in 2024, marking the ten-year anniversary of the partnership between SAMA and Haven for Hope.