Abi Mustapha Joins Housing Matters as Artist-In-Residence
Housing Matters is thrilled to introduce Abi Mustapha as our new Artist-In-Residence. This role is the newest addition to our growing Community Engagement team, who are working to educate and inform the community about the multifaceted issue of homelessness and its solutions. This exciting initiative has been made possible through a generous grant from the Central Coast Creative Corps, marking the beginning of a year-long pilot program.
You might already know Abi Mustapha from her amazing work in Santa Cruz County. She’s been making waves in championing social justice causes through art, and one of her standout projects was co-creating the Black Lives Matter mural on Center Street, a collaborative effort with Santa Cruz Equity Collab and the City of Santa Cruz. Abi’s been showcasing her art since 2013, primarily in the Bay Area, and she brings a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for her craft.
Her art has graced many galleries and museums across the Midwest and the Bay Area including the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, The Richmond Art Center, Garret Museum of Art, Joyce Gordon Gallery, and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome Abi Mustapha to Housing Matters as our Artist-In-Residence. This appointment represents a pivotal moment for our organization, made possible through the invaluable support of the Central Coast Creative Corps. With Abi’s artistic vision and talent, we are poised to explore the transformative power of art. Through this collaboration, we aim to use art as a catalyst to humanize public perception of homelessness through new community engagement outreach efforts.” – Mer Stafford, Housing Matters Chief Impact Officer.
Housing Matters is just one of 23 community partners in six Central Coast counties that received grants from the Central Coast Creative Corps. The goal? Investing in talented artists like Abi to team up with community partners and tackle civic engagement, public health, social justice, and climate resilience across the Central Coast. They’re focusing on communities in need, based on the California Healthy Places Index (HPI).
Abi is excited about the mission of Housing Matters to partner with individuals and families to create pathways out of their homelessness into permanent housing.
“I’m really honored and excited to get to work with Housing Matters. It’s a rare opportunity to collaborate in this unique way. Our aim is to create projects that bring awareness and humanize community members experiencing homelessness. Let’s shift the paradigm of what we believe is possible to include a future without homelessness.” – Abi Mustapha, Housing Matters Artist-In-Residence.
Abi Mustapha will collaborate with Housing Matters for an initial one year term to design, produce, and facilitate community-centered projects, activities, and events meant to bring awareness to the issue of homelessness and humanize the people experiencing it.
This activity is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, through the Central Coast Creative Corps Grant Program. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov and www.centralcoastcreativecorps.org.