ANCHORAGE MUSEUM
February, 2020 Visitor viewing a gallery wall covered floor to ceiling with handmade signs from people experiencing homelessness, Anchorage Museum 2020 Two large panels assembled from dozens of handmade signs collected from people experiencing homelessness across the United States Willie Baronet kneeling to talk with a man on the street beside his handmade sign reading I am a cancer victim I cannot work, while a film crew records Logos of press outlets that have covered We Are All Homeless, including NPR, Yahoo News, CBS Chicago, HuffPost, BuzzFeed, Fast Company and The Seattle Times Cardboard signs hand-lettered in green marker reading Home is where I go to cry and Home is where your story begins

ABOUT
The WE ARE ALL HOMELESS project began in 1993 when Willie Baronet bought a sign from a person experiencing homelessness, and since 2009, his ever-growing collection of signs has been used in dozens of art installations across the US and the UK. In 2016, Baronet produced the documentary “Signs of Humanity” to share a few of the raw stories of human struggle and the resilience of the people ehind the signs. Through presentations, symposiums, and workshops, our non-profit organization, WE ARE ALL HOMELESS, hopes to challenge stereotypes, inspire empathy, and drive social change.

SIGNS OF HUMANITY
SIGNS OF HUMANITY is a documentary film that explores inter-related themes of home, homelessness, compassion, and humanity. Artist and professor Willie Baronet has purchased more than 1,800 homeless signs since 1993, and he uses this collection to create installations to raise awareness about homelessness. During the month of July, 2014, Willie and three filmmakers drove across the country, interviewing more than 100 people on the streets and purchasing over 280 signs. SIGNS OF HUMANITY is a film about that trip.

SIGNS OF HUMANITY is available to view free on Amazon Prime Video, and can be purchased or rented without a Prime account. Click the logo below to view.

EXHIBITS
There have been 95+ art installations of WE ARE ALL HOMELESS since 2009 in the US and UK, including exhibits at the Anchorage Museum, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Cambridge. In 2016 we were honored to exhibit in Philadelphia and Cleveland during both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention. In Philly, we were a part of Truth to Power, a group show sponsored by Rock the Vote, which included other artists such as Banksy, Ron English, and Shepard Fairey. The installations provide an up-close and personal experience for people to explore the humanity of the signs, challenge their perceptions, and inspire a deeper understanding of homelessness.

MEDIA / PR
WE ARE ALL HOMELESS has captivated the attention of global media, with coverage from NPR, HuffPost, Yahoo! News, Buzzfeed, and many more. During the filming of ‘Signs of Humanity,’ the project accumulated over 138 million media impressions in just one month. These human stories have an enduring, compassionate force that never ceases to inspire and resonate, amid our ever-expanding homelessness crisis.

IMPACT
Though it can be difficult to quantify the impact of WE ARE ALL HOMELESS, it isn’t hard to see it. It’s seen in the millions of views, comments, and shares of a single online Upworthy video and in the diverse range of students and organizations who participated in presentations and workshops. Hundreds of thousands of people have viewed our art installations or seen ‘Signs of Humanity,’ and have heard Willie speak on the TEDx stage. Beyond that, hundreds of thousands of dollars were donated to a homeless shelter at a single fundraiser. As an official nonprofit, WE ARE ALL HOMELESS does more than just provoke thought — it inspires action. It ignites conversations, shifts perceptions about those experiencing homelessness, and strengthens the bonds of our collective humanity.

More than 35 exhibits in the US and UK, including NYU, Truth to Power at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and the University of Cambridge Testimonial from Iris Snorradottir: I just saw the video about your amazing project. People in America need to hear all the different stories and the reasons why people are homeless in the first place. Someone needs to be their voice and you have found a way to do that. I would join you if I lived in the USA, but I am in Iceland. With great respect to you. Two testimonials. Carl LaFlamme: Willie helped change my consciousness around the homeless, from being a person who ignored them on a street corner to volunteering at a homeless shelter. Craig Tennant: This moved me deeply. I was able to see how I have stood in judgment with homeless people that I would see on the street.

Thousands of answers to the question What is home? Signs reading Home is where the queso is and home is where someone cares More than 40 talks and workshops, including TEDx, NYU and Oral Fixation, with Willie Baronet speaking on stage Testimonial from Cindy Mates: Your project has touched me in a way I never thought was possible again. There but for the Grace of God. Tears are streaming as I try to type this because I just realized there is something SO much bigger than my life and addictions. Thank you for knowing just what to do with your life.

Over 1,400 signs collected. Cardboard sign reading Have you ever felt invisible before? Testimonial from Tosha Booker: I just wanted to take the time out to tell you how much your Homeless project touched me! I have been homeless for going on 3 years now. After a battle with cancer, and losing my home, my three boys and I had no other option than moving in with some family. I just wanted to say thank you for beautifully covering such a tender spot in my heart. 460,000 dollars raised for The Bridge, Dallas' homeless recovery center, through Breakfast for the Bridge

Impacting students of all ages. Three classrooms of students holding handmade signs they created Signs of Humanity screened at eight film festivals: Melbourne, Dallas, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Utica, San Luis Obispo and Fort Worth Signs from seven countries, including French and Italian cardboard signs asking for food and for help getting home Testimonial from Kathleen Guffey: I am a high school teacher in the Seattle area. I found your experience to be an incredible statement of what reality is for a large population of our culture. People need to know the people behind the signs. Thanks for your generosity of spirit.
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