Tracey Lester remembers what it was like to be a homeless mother with four young girls.
"It was like a hard road. I always felt so exhausted," said Lester.
Life is better today.
"I feel grateful that I have housing," said Lester. But she added that she worries about the people living on the streets.
Seattle non-profit, Path with Art, helps Lester express the pain and trauma that she suffered.
Holly Jacobson, Path with Art's Executive Director, accepts art students who are living in or recovering from homelessness, addiction, or trauma.
Wednesday night at the gallery, they highlighted hometown band, Pearl Jam.
"What Pearl Jam is doing is revolutionary and should be replicated all over the world," said Jacobson.
When Jacobson was asked to be a part of the benefit concerts, raising money to fight homelessness, her answer was yes. She agreed to have Path with Art artists design and produce posters for Pearl Jam's home shows, happening on August 8 and 10.
Lester offered her artwork. Her poster shows an adult holding the hand of a child, walking along the train tracks. Also featured is a backpack, and the images of the items she used to wish for, like a bed and a shower.
"It is not very nice out there," said Lester.
The gallery is filled with posters that relive the pain.
An artist who goes by the name, B, is in hiding. She's a domestic violence survivor.
"I really wanted to speak for all of us who can't show our face, who can't be just out publicly like we want to," said B.
She set out to show what homelessness is really like with three posters. One showed people climbing a guitar.
"Like with Pearl Jam, what they are doing is helping people climb out of homelessness," said B.
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Another poster she designed has the words, 'I am not a freak.' in bold letters.
"I think that is how people perceive people who are homeless," said B.
"There were times when I was so exhausted. I was pushing my stroller and I was wishing so much that I could just lay down on the side of the road and sleep," said Lester.
Tracy says what Pearl Jam is doing will make a difference.
"It can help uplift people," she said.
Seven artists made posters for Pearl Jam. The band selected two posters that will be distributed to The Home Shows supporters.
