24" x 36" limited-edition silkscreened poster by Tom Newton / Houston, TX 
Edition of 35 | Signed and numbered by the artist | Sold unframed
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
The topic of helping homeless youth was an obvious choice for me, since I usually see quite a few homeless folks on my way home from work every day. Sometimes I imagine how afraid I would feel sleeping alone on the streets. I also wonder what I should do, if anything, to help. I can’t help everyone. If I give someone money, will I be enabling an addiction? The problem is complex, and like most problems, there are no easy fixes. So, I usually drive on without doing anything. I end up having conflicted feelings. Sadness, fear. And guilt. I have no illusion that a poster can make a difference in the lives of young people on the streets, but I was interested to see if I could shed a different light on the problem. Sell a few posters for the cause. But, what I didn't expect was that by working on this project, it would have an effect — on me. I've learned that young people can be on the streets for a lot of different reasons. And, that everyone deserves the dignity of being seen and heard. Now, I’m less inclined to just turn away. I’ll stop and talk sometimes. I’ll listen. I’ll do the next right thing when I’m clear what that is. No easy solutions, but no more denial of the need for some action on my part.
Tom Newton is a native Texan, graphic designer and illustrator from Houston and Beaumont. His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, New York’s Art Directors Club, PRINT, Typography International Association, the American Advertising Federation, and Logo Lounge. His work is included in the 2015 Coca-Cola book and exhibition, Kiss the Past Hello: 100 Years of the Coca-Cola Contour Bottle.