Charles Dwyer on art with his homeless neighbor

A neighbor is a person who lives near you, right – maybe in the apartment or the house next door or down the block.  But what about someone who doesn’t have a place to live?  Like the homeless guy who sleeps in a doorway down the street.  Is he your neighbor too?  

And, how will you treat him when he knocks on your door?

Our next story is about the complicated relationship that developed between a nationally celebrated artist and a homeless man.   Charles Dwyer is a painter and graphic artist whose work is in museums and galleries around the country.   He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in old warehouse district – the kind that’s home to both indie artists and street people.   A few years ago, he noticed a homeless guy hanging around... a guy named Jerry Pfeil.    One day  Jerry asked him for money, Charles gave him five dollars.. This went on for awhile.  And then Charles did something unusual – he asked if Jerry would like to make some art.

Some of Jerry Pfeil's work: