This was a collaborative project that included two sections of our graphic design I and graphic design II students and the Health Commons. We were challenged to first understand what it is that the Health Commons does. Through site visits to both locations, we interviewed both staff and participants in order to understand who and what the Health Commons is. We were then charged with the task to identify what it is that we could collaborate on. We identified two goals in this project: the first was to celebrate the 20-year Anniversary of the HC by visually interpreting the unique, inspiring mission and ethos of the organization. The second was to get donations for supplies for the HC. We came up with the solution of an exchange of artwork that they created for socks. Rather than just asking for donations for the event, we focused on an exchange in order to embody this ethos of the HC of dignity rather than charity. This idea came after we gathered a quote from one of the participants of the HC, “It’s all about pride, baby doll.  You don’t want people know how you are living.  They are protecting their dignity.  Sometimes that is all a man has.”

Health Commons: Exhibition + Sock Exchange celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Health Commons by looking at the history, philosophy, and practice of an organization that has challenged the definition of health care and truly embraces the idea of creating common ground. Health Commons (HC) is a drop-in health center that is dedicated to serving in two locations, Cedar-Riverside and downtown Minneapolis. The focus of the commons is on keeping individuals and the community healthy, with a commitment to service based on respect, relationship, and collaboration that connects health and hope for all participants. All services are free of charge and open to everyone. Staff at the Health Commons are not experts, but are partners with the community, and each other, in a journey to achieve optimal health.