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What does our city look like through the lens of someone experiencing homelessness? Come find out at the "We Have a Story" exhibit.

We Have a Story

“We Have a Story: Homeless in Colorado Springs” is a documentary project completed in 2022 by people experiencing homelessness. This project captures the unique experiences of these individuals through photos and stories. The four individuals who participated in the project present their distinctive perspectives of this complex and diverse community, which is not easy to define.

Participants took pictures over the course of a month in the spring of 2022. They met as a group with a professional photographer to discuss and critique their photographs. Participants also sat with a historian to conduct an oral history interview. At the end of the project, they each selected three images and wrote an accompanying artist story. The photos and narratives will be displayed throughout Pikes Peak Library District.

The photos, narratives, and oral histories will also be accessible online through Special Collections at Penrose Library, which preserves the stories and records of the Pikes Peak region. “We Have a Story: Homeless in Colorado Springs” contributes to the region’s history by documenting the stories of contemporary residents who are typically overlooked in a community’s historical record.

Exhibit Schedule:

• 2022
• November - Penrose Library
• December - Manitou Springs Library/Manitou Arts Center
• 2023
• January - Cheyenne Mountain Library and Rockrimmon Library
• February - Library 21c
• March - East Library

Join Pikes Peak Library District’s Regional History and Genealogy (RH&G) department as they release the latest book in their Regional History Series: Military Matters: Defense, Development, & Dissent in the Pikes Peak Region.
There will be a presentation by the RH&G staff members about the multitude of ways the military has shaped, contributed to, and transformed the Pikes Peak region.

This will be followed by a panel discussion with three retired veterans living in the region:

William Thomas, Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer
Terrance D. McWilliams, Retired 7th Infantry Division and Fort Carson Command Sergeant Major
Christine Martinez, Retired U.S. Army Flight Medical Aidman and Air Force Reserves

When and Where

The book release and panel discussion will be on Thu., Nov. 17 from 1 - 2:30 p.m. at Penrose Library. Military Matters: Defense, Development & Dissent in the Pikes Peak Region will be for sale to all attendees at a discount.

PPLD is looking for two makers for the 2023 Maker in Residence Program.

What is a maker? A maker can be an artist, a techno-wizard, an inventor, a crafter, and lots more!

But specifically, we seek makers who…

• love their craft and possess skills to teach and share
• are curious about the world around them and enjoy tinkering
• enjoy collaborating with others

The Maker in Residence will teach classes to our patrons and envision, develop, and create a large-scale community project. Since 2014, the Maker in Residence program has hosted over 30 creative individuals, who introduced the El Paso County community to a wide range of projects and ideas including the following:

• bookbinding & papermaking
• drawing and painting (acrylics, watercolors, oils, alcohol ink)
• stop motion / animation
• songwriting and dancing
• polymer clay
• origami
• sewing

Applications will be taken through Mon, Nov. 21.

Click here to apply.

You will also need to complete and attach these two forms to the application linked to above:

• Class Outline Form
• Community Project Proposal Form

You can learn more about the Maker in Residence program here.