SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Dozens of people were seated inside of ArtRage in Syracuse Tuesday. All around them are people who they likely would never notice. 

"There are going to be three meetings in here talking about homelessness, dealing with homelessness. Wow," said artist Neil Shigley. "Tell people it's OK to acknowledge somebody because in some cases that's all they really need is to be like, 'hey, I'm here.' "

From San Diego, Neil Shigley made his way to Syracuse to exhibit his large-scale portrait work of people experiencing homelessness. Called "Invisible People," the portraits capture the faces of people experiencing homelessness in San Diego. 

"This guy came to tears. He was so touched; he says, 'nobody even looks at me,' " said Shigley.

The exhibit will be open until October and throughout the weeks it will feature panel discussions on homelessness. Shigley and others watching hope the art is just a stepping stone to inspire communities to help its residents find homes. 

"I mean, there's this art; it's in the conversation with homelessness, but it's a very small part. But I would hope that maybe somebody who sees these pieces, who is way smarter than me, will have answers to deal with these problems," said Shigley.

For more information on the exhibition, visit ArtRage's website.