In honor of our work to move homeless individuals and families into homes, 25 local artists were given the opportunity to design, paint, or decorate a small wooden dollhouse (shown left). Artists were asked to transform these blank canvases in response to the prompt, “What does home mean to you?” See their depictions and excerpts from their artist statements below.

All houses will be available for purchase at our silent auction on October 18th at Riverviews Artspace at our celebration event. 100% of proceeds will fund our programs to end homelessness in Central Virginia.

ARTIST: STEPHEN KISSEL

No Title

“I know I’ve had different stages of transition in my own life with the feeling of home, so I wanted to somehow represent the changes in a more abstract way.”

ARTIST: Susan Saandholland

Scents of Home

“The sights and sounds (of home) were remarkable, yet it was the variety and intensity of the unique smells that left the most lasting impression.”

ARTIST: ANNA M. FILIAGGI

 I Wanna Go Home

“I Wanna Go Home is a piece that may speak to many people, in that the house structure does not always embody the feeling of home.”

Artists: LAUREN DIANICH & JON BRAITHWAITE

No Title

“Each house we design (or redesign) creates a space that helps the inhabitant feel like home is taking care of them.”

Artist: Victoria Towns

 Doodle Dwelling

“Home to me is a place where you can let loose and be yourself. It’s a place where no one can judge you for being to silly or slightly off-beat. Being at home gives people the freedom to play and discover who they are.”

Artist: Meg Weston

 What Home Means To Me

“A house becomes a home when we put ourselves in it. We fill it with ourselves—our personalities, experiences and aspirations—as easily as we fill it with our reflection.”

Artist: Pamela Winegard

Home is a State of Mind

“My piece…represents the dark place that we may come from and the leap of courage to move from one place to another to create a home for a brighter future, for a family to thrive, and community.

Artist: Jill Jensen

Home is Where the Heart Is

“Home is the backdrop for triumphs, disappointments and day-to-day activities. It doesn't matter what your address is or how many times you have moved. Ultimately home is where the heart is.”

Artist: Brooke Marcy

A Sense of Place

 “(Home) is where I feel comfortable and comforted, and where I care for the plants, animals, and people I love. It is where I feel my strongest sense of place.”

Artist: Nugent Koscielny

 No Title

“What does home mean to me? The time and space where so much begins and ends…Home might be a place to be and to return, in spirit or in space, as home is made anew. Everyone deserves a home.”

Artist: K.s.

 The Jewelry Box

“This, to me, is home: a space I can create in, a space to focus, a space for privacy but also for those I love. It is filled with collections that have meaning to me, items with stories.”

Artist: RED CESAFSKY

 The Studio

“For me, home is not a place that exists; it is a state of mind I seek to achieve. I often seek the emotion connected to feeling at home by undertaking an artistic or creative venture.”

Artist: d.W. Loizou

Zoe’s Holy Spot

“Zoe (Greek 4 Life) dwells in my dollhouse. Can you detect her aura?...She is ever-moving in and designing the details to her Cloudy Castle. The process of toiling on it gifts her so much oomph, she hopes to never-end!”

Artist: KIERA HIGHT

 Home Is Where the Mind Is

“To me home is something that travels with me everywhere I go…Home is the impressions and relationships and memories that make me who I am and frame the way I see everything.”

Artist: e. lindsey hall iii

 HOME

“Some people have to work hard to create a home in spite of the efforts of others to make them feel unwelcome. Everyone deserves a home and that home should be wherever they want it to be.”

Artist: Randall J. Watts

 What Home Means To You?

“The meaning of “home” for me is a place to live; a familiar place/residence.  Home is my safe haven, my place to gather with my family and friends…There is love at home.  Mostly there is security and calm, laughter and deep thoughts.”

Artist: Lib Elder

What Next?

“Home. At different times in life that word has meant different things, been represented by different images.”

Artist: Magda Liska

 The Community Chest House

 “What home means to me is a functional safe building tucked away in wooded native gardens where a multicultural blend of people living in harmony together thrive…where you can dare to dream and immerse oneself in love and trust.”

Artists: Rosalie Short, Phyllis Hollenbeck, Gay Tucker

Happy Days

“You see it at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Trains, bus stations and airports full of travelers all migrating back to the one place that draws them like a magnet.”

Artist: Emily Stilwell

Firebird

“Home is being able to be unapologetically oneself despite that trauma, to surround oneself in positivity which fuels personal resiliency, joy, and healing.”

Artist: JORDAN MILLER

HOME

“HOME has come to mean something that I carry with me. …I’ve discovered my soul sighs when I’m HOME. HOME is where I invite others to share in this crazy thing called life.”  

Artist: Christina davis

No Title

“My goal was to discover the beauty of home through my painting techniques and simplifying a few unique aspects that define the energy of home.”

Artist: Bethany tanner

Beyond Words & Walls

“In its own way, this little city of ours has held space for me to step into many of the words that I’ve included in my house: grow, learn, flourish, belong, love, share, and more. Home is the basics of shelter, safety, and stability.”

No place like home public art campaign

At Miriam’s House, we believe in the power of a home to provide safety, security, and a new start for those experiencing homelessness. In celebration of Miriam’s House’s 25th anniversary and the 2,500 lives changed through our work, we are thrilled to announce the No Place Like Home art campaign.