The Stewpot artists find healing, purpose and income through art in Dallas

The Stewpot, a Dallas-based homeless services organization, is helping people who have experienced homelessness be seen in a new light. 

During a special art exhibit Thursday night, paintings filled the walls, but it was artists like Darrell Plunkett who were the real focus.  

When Plunkett first discovered The Stewpot's art program more than a decade ago, he was at one of the lowest points in his life. He was struggling with alcoholism. 

 "I was staying in a shelter and I was waiting for them to take us back downtown, and I saw a gentleman with sketches and a bag full of art supplies," he said. 

Immediately, he wanted to learn more. 

"He told me about the program, and back then, there was an interview process to get in, and so I went through that," he said. 

Plunkett was accepted and quickly discovered a love for painting, especially sunflowers and roosters. More importantly, he found an escape from the struggles he was facing.

"It kept me out of trouble and give me a safe place to come and create instead of running the streets," he said. 

He said many artists in the program have found that same sense of purpose.

 "It gives me peace and quiet and comfort," Luis Arispe said. "People who buy my work love the way I talk to them and speak to them." 

Every painting sold directly benefits the artists. They receive 90% of each sale, while the remaining 10% goes back into the program to help pay for art supplies."

 "It's a nice little boost if you get a little more pocket change.. to get paid for your work and to be acknowledged as an artist," The Stewpot Director of Enrichment Programs, Betty Heckman, said. 

 "The recognition that someone actually likes what I created it just gives me joy," Plunkett said. 

Since joining the program, Plunkett has remained sober. He now has his own apartment and works at the Dallas Arboretum, where he finds constant inspiration. 

"I'll just stop and take a quick snapshot and go home and create," he said. 

He estimates he's created hundreds of paintings over the years, and some of his work has even been featured in murals across Dallas. 

Looking back, he says he's forever grateful for this program that changed the course of his life. 

"I don't know what I would do without it," he said. "It's been a blessing."