UnLabel Poverty
In Partnership with Asheville Poverty Initiative
This three-day public installation was created to challenge assumptions about poverty and restore dignity to those experiencing homelessness in Asheville, NC.
Working in sustained partnership with Asheville Poverty Initiative and the 12 Baskets Café community, the project unfolded over months of building trust with café patrons, volunteers, and community members. Each portrait emerged from relationship — part conversation, part sitting — when someone was ready to be seen.
The installation featured large-scale portrait pairs displayed in street-facing windows and interior gallery space. Each person chose how they wanted to be labeled, reclaiming their identity and story in their own words.
Programming included guided poverty education walks through downtown Asheville, creative writing shared by members of the 12 Baskets community, and panel discussions on lived experience, poverty education, affordable housing, and public policy — featuring community members, advocates, and elected officials including a state senator.
The three-day event drew hundreds of community members into conversations about poverty, dignity, and belonging. The work elevated community awareness of API's mission, attracted new volunteers, and continues to inform their Realities of Poverty education programming.
Photography, design, production, and installation by Brody Hartman. Presented by Sugar Hollow Solar. Supported by Dogwood Health Trust.
“Brody’s work brought a rare combination of artistry, dignity, and community engagement that deeply resonated with everyone who experienced it. He took the time to assimilate into our community and build relationships and trust.
The result was powerful imagery that has supported our mission in multiple ways — creating space for people to see and understand poverty in a more human, nuanced way, shifting perspectives from judgment to empathy.
Brody’s approach is deeply respectful, making visible stories that too often go unheard while honoring the dignity of those at their center.”
