That’s the question posed—and answered—in a first-time collaborative exhibition between DuMA and Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa (CSEI), a regional nonprofit organization that offers resources and opportunities to those challenged by homelessness or housing crises. @HOME: CSEI Photovoice, opening Friday, June 7, features photography on the topic of home from artists of all skill levels and backgrounds, with particular emphasis on amateur photographers and those who are part of CSEI’s programs and mission.

@HOME presents approximately 50 photographs from 21 artists across Dubuque and Delaware counties that offer poignant, gripping, and trenchant commentaries on the meaning of “home.” @HOME is also more than a photography exhibition; it examines the housing crisis more generally and the individuals affected by it. Thus the exhibition also includes a featured documentary on the artists and a stipend for those participating under the CSEI umbrella, both efforts to better understand and serve this population.

“CSEI does ground-level work with homeless individuals,” said Miles Turner, Visitor Services Coordinator at DuMA and organizer of the exhibition. “We believe that @HOME gives visibility to all their efforts in our community and gives our visitors a deeper understanding of those affected by homelessness. We come to know these artists through their photographs and the documentary. And by presenting
@HOME, we hope to add a personal dimension to this difficult issue, to recognize here our fellow community members and neighbors.”

The photographs in this exhibition were selected anonymously by a committee comprised of DuMA Board members, DuMA staff, a professional videographer, and a CSEI Board member. The resulting presentation represents a unique collaboration between DuMA and a social services organization, a partnership that demonstrates that art and action are equally at home together.