Visual Art
Visual Art
Summoning the Light-For Karrie
“For every friend who got taken off the street so the upper class could sleep.” -Harmony Parking Lot Song by Johnny Hobo and the Freight Trains
This piece was inspired by my friend Karrie, who died by suicide while experiencing homelessness. It grew out of a doodle she drew, inspired by one of her favorite songs, Harmony Parking Lot Song by Johnny Hobo and the Freight Trains. I have included her version as an additional file.
Karrie grew up in West Virginia's foster care system. After running away from an abusive foster home, she was incarcerated as a youth (for running away) and later spent years living as a traveling kid before settling in Gainesville, Florida. Though her life was marked by deep trauma, Karrie was one of the most meticulously thoughtful people I have ever known—a gifted artist, poet, baker, and activist. Despite a community of radical friends who loved and supported her as best they could, Karrie needed more than the resources we could offer. At every turn during her mental health crisis and period of unhousing, institutional systems failed her.
This work imagines a different story: one where, instead of ending at the bottom of the downtown parking garage, a better world waited to catch her—holding her with the tenderness, safety, and love she always deserved.
Karrie grew up in West Virginia's foster care system. After running away from an abusive foster home, she was incarcerated as a youth (for running away) and later spent years living as a traveling kid before settling in Gainesville, Florida. Though her life was marked by deep trauma, Karrie was one of the most meticulously thoughtful people I have ever known—a gifted artist, poet, baker, and activist. Despite a community of radical friends who loved and supported her as best they could, Karrie needed more than the resources we could offer. At every turn during her mental health crisis and period of unhousing, institutional systems failed her.
This work imagines a different story: one where, instead of ending at the bottom of the downtown parking garage, a better world waited to catch her—holding her with the tenderness, safety, and love she always deserved.