Artist at Covenant House shines light on youth homelessness with shoe designs for competition

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Some shoes are made for walking, and others are for carrying messages of encouragement that'll be featured in an international art competition held in Michigan

Tysia is an artist at Covenant House and wants to shine a light on youth homelessness.

"This side I put: 'Nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s worthless. We are all unique.' so basically, like an encouragement."

Tysia believes words of encouragement are priceless.  She believes it so much she put it on a shoe - literally.

"On the orange yellow side, I got, like, smiley faces and positivity and things like that, love and stuff like that to represent the positive and stuff."

And on the blue side theres sad face, angry faces, and broken hearts.

All the emotions she has felt while experiencing homelessness.

"In the middle, on the front part it says, I put, ‘No matter what emotion you felt you are and always will be strong," she said.

The goal of her artwork she says is mental health awareness.  Soon it will be featured in a global art competition in Grand Rapids called ArtPrize.

"We all go through things and stuff. We are all human. Nobody’s perfect," she said.

ArtPrize begins in a few weeks on Sept. 13 - 28th and is held throughout the city of Grand Rapids.

People fly in from all over the world, seeing not only Tysia's artwork this time but also other young peoples work from Covenant House.

"What I love about what Tysia has done and the rest of our residents that participated is that it gave them an outlet," said Megan Dunn.

Dunn, of Covenant House Michigan says dozens of shoes were sent over to Grand Rapids already for ArtPrize.

"So, they’re able to use art as a way to express their vulnerability, a way to express their journey with homelessness," she said.

The exhibit is called ‘A Mile in Our Sneakers’ a mixed-media project where youth at the Grand Rapids and Detroit locations painted, on Keds shoes, their journeys and feelings with homelessness.

Something she says anyone can experience at anytime.

"We know the person that’s on the side of the street with the sign," Dunn said. "That’s very clear. But it could also be someone that’s helping you with your clothes at the cleaners, it could be someone that’s helping you - the barista at the coffee shop that you go to."

ArtPrize is a competition.  So, theres cash prizes to be won.

For those with covenant house, their artists, including Tysia, are already winners.

"What I loved about Tysia’s message is that in the end we’re all strong," she said.