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February 27, 2020
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Artistic outlets amid hardship People experiencing homelessness find a ‘getaway’ BY CASEY VAN DIVIER CVANDIVIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Within a single week, dozens of regulars find their way to the 2300 block of Arapahoe and Curtis streets in Denver. Steven Barth, a jazz keyboard player, leaves the homeless shelter he’s been staying at for eight months, headed to a weekly dance group at the St. Francis Center, a daytime shelter on Curtis Street. Ashley Anderson and Paul Laurendine, a married couple who met at the day shelter, also make their way to Curtis Street each week, drawn to the dance group where they first bonded. Richard Beck, an artist who goes by the name Gonzo, walks from his Denver home to the RedLine Contemporary Art Center on Arapahoe Street — where, having once slept behind the building each night, he has since accepted a position as studio coordinator. Every week, these individuals are drawn to the arts programs that happen to run in the back-to-back buildings. On Tuesday and Saturday afternoons, RedLine invites aspiring artists to the Reach Studio at 2350 Arapahoe St. And on Thursday mornings, ballet company Wonderbound holds a dance group at the St. Francis Center, 2323 Curtis St. The Denver arts groups, which each began within the last decade, seek to serve people experiencing homelessness in the metro area. More than anything, participants say the programs are about momentarily leaving behind the negative to embrace the positive. “We’ve been coming to this for years. It’s been our getaway,” Anderson said of herself and her husband. Participants also say that programs like these are few and far between. “I wish it would last longer. There’s not much else to do,” said Barth, who
Gonzo, the coordinator of Reach Studio, stands with the pieces created for Reach Studio’s 10th Annual Exhibition: Afrofuturism. The show is on display at the RedLine studio now through March 29. CASEY VAN DIVIER often sits on the edge of the dance floor in the St. Francis Center’s clothing room, using drumsticks to keep the beat while others are dancing. “It feels good to move,” he said. “It makes your heart beat.” Programs’ purposes While the programs seek to achieve a common goal, each one approaches that goal differently. The Pari Passu dance program — named after the Latin term for “equal step” — specifically engages those served by the St. Francis Center. Every Thursday, participants decide how to spend the hour, whether that means
dancing together or simply discussing music, said group coordinator Heather Sutton. “This is a population that is told a lot what they can and can’t do, so we try to meet whatever the demand is that day,” Sutton said. “One of the first things people lose when they’re experiencing financial hardship is access to the arts. It’s important for us to provide that.” Directly after the hour wraps up at the center, Sutton holds another group at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, 2111 Champa St., Denver.
VOLUNTEER The arts programs serving those experiencing homelessness are always looking for volunteers, program coordinators said. Volunteer forms are available online at: Art From Ashes: artfromashes.org/ support/volunteer RedLine Reach Studio: redlineart.org/ volunteer St. Francis Center: sfcdenver.org/volunteer To volunteer with the Pari Passu dance program at the St. Francis Center, ask to be assigned to the program during volunteer orientation.
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VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10 | CALENDAR: PAGE 6 | SPORTS: PAGE 9 VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 16