When picturing a homelessness shelter, what images come to mind? One might picture fluorescent lights, cheap plastic chairs crowding around dated-looking tables, stressed volunteers dashing about, and, of course, those struggling with homelessness – receiving services, chatting with others, or trying to take a nap in spite of all the noise around them. At first glance, the Lamb Center, a daytime shelter for the unhoused in Northern Virginia, has all the trademarks listed above: a no-frills operation that serves hundreds of people each day with meals, laundry, showers, Bible study, and case management. Take a second look, however, and notice: there is art everywhere.

Most curious of all are fourteen small illustrations in dollar-store chrome frames, depicting the stations of the cross.