DENVER — A collaborative art project has changed the lives of 18 formerly unhoused people at the St. Francis Center in Denver.
St. Francis Center has served people experiencing homelessness since 1983, providing permanent and temporary housing as well as supportive services.
Spearheaded by local artist Emma Balder, the art exhibit, "Heard to be Seen, Seen to be Heard," features a boulder-like sculpture, "Where Barriers Lie, Shelter Awaits," that took over 1,000 hours to complete. The exhibit serves not just as a display of creativity but as a powerful testament to resilience and hope.
Darrin Johnson, a resident of St. Francis Center and participant in the exhibit, spent three years living on the streets of the Denver metro area. He described the emotional and physical scars that came from his homelessness.
"There's still scars from what I put myself through to become homeless," Johnson said.
Johnson is working with the support services at St. Francis Center to find work and regain his independence.
Emma Balder began her project in September 2024. She engaged residents in creating two abstract paintings, which were later cut up and rearranged around a boulder-like sculpture.
Balder included therapeutic aspects in three work sessions with residents of St. Francis Center.
"We also discussed some of these challenges that the residents are facing, the emotions associated with those challenges, and then the ways to overcome them," she said. "Abstract art can be really therapeutic... for the residents. It was a very cathartic experience."
During the sessions, residents not only channeled their emotions into their artwork but also forged a sense of community.
“We didn’t feel homeless at that time or newly housed. Just we felt like part of the community,” Johnson said.
Greta Walker, a representative from the St. Francis Center, highlighted the importance of comprehensive support services in addressing homelessness. The center provides permanent housing, employment resources, and, notably, a space where residents can heal and connect through art.
“Housing on its own isn't the solution. It has to come with wrap-around services and case management,” Walker said. “This is really where the healing starts. It starts at St. Francis Center in our housing communities with our case managers. It really, that's just where the deep work really begins.”
Through these art sessions, participants shared their struggles openly, using “challenge cards” to write down the barriers they face in re-entering society.
“Getting the house is one thing, but there's a lot more barriers. Some people don't like being in that apartment by themselves. They just do not. They can't handle it," Johnson said.
- Watch a behind-the-scenes look at those art sessions in the video player below
Balder, reflecting on her inspiration from hiking, explained that the boulder in the project symbolizes both obstacles and shelter. She said a boulder can be an obstacle on a path, but can also act as shelter during an unexpected Colorado storm.
"I was thinking, 'Well, how can our barriers be our shelters, and how can we find comfort and safety and security within the difficult things that we face on a day-to-day basis?' And so that kind of really became the guiding force of this project," said Balder.
The culmination of the project created a powerful symbol of the participants' journeys and their desire to be seen and heard by society.
“I was able to be part of something bigger than me, something that gave me pride,” Johnson said. “I want to work. I’m capable of being self-sufficient again... I am going to take my lemons and make lemonade. I am."
The exhibition showcasing this work is at Understudy Art Gallery, located at 890 C 14th Street in Denver. It will be on display from March 27 to April 27.
Visitors can stop by Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m., or by appointment. Admission is free and open to the public, allowing the community to gain insight into the struggles and strengths of those overcoming homelessness.
Pencil drawings, created by the residents of St. Francis Center, are available for purchase at the exhibit.
Balder is looking for a donor to sponsor the artwork's permanent placement at the St. Francis Center after its time at the Understudy Art Gallery. If you'd like to contact Balder, you can email her at emmaabalder@gmail.com.
For more information about "Hear to be Seen, Seen to be Heard," you can visit emmabalder.com.
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