COLORADO SPRINGS — Started in October of 2023 and acting as a gallery, studio, and community space; Shutter and Strum in Colorado Springs is working to promote mental and emotional wellness in under served youth populations through the pursuit of artistic endeavors.
Helmed by photographer Brian Tryon and musician Chris Bacavis, both former instructors at Community Prep School in Colorado Springs; the organization is primarily focused on assisting middle school and high school-aged youth in the cultivation of artistic creativity as a means of healthy expression.
"Photography is a tool, music is a tool, art is a tool," commented Tryon, "for anxiety, depression, addiction."
"You can always write songs, you can always record stuff, you can get these things out," added Bacavis, "and really, not just give yourself an outlet but also give other people access to your creations."
Shutter and Strum opened its doors in October of 2023 and has already worked to partner with multiple community outreach/educational organizations including Inside Out Youth Services, Forge Evolution, and Community Prep School.
Inside the space, you can find a dark room for developing photos, a recording studio, an art gallery, and even an area to practice photography; all these spaces and tools are available to the youth who are participating in workshops and classes.
According to Tryon, the organization is also a way for him to assist adolescents that may be going through trials similar to those he experienced growing up.
"Growing up, I was an 'at risk kid,' marginalized kid; I grew up in a dysfunctional family [and] I didn't have any positive outlets like this."
He says that not having a "management skill" played a part in his struggle with addiction earlier in life; it's something he's fought and overcome through utilizing the visual arts (namely, photography) as an outlet.
He's been sober for 16 years now, but still recounts that, "... for many years that took me away from my passions, it robbed my soul."
Now, and for years, Tryon has been working to help others express themselves in safe ways and inside welcoming/secure environments; it's a task that Bacavis is joining him in undertaking with the continued operations management of Shutter and Strum.
Our vision is to inspire and empower at-risk/underserved youth in Colorado Springs, offering them authentic mentorship and artistic pathways to overcome difficulties and generational trauma, ultimately fostering personal recovery in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
Looking to the future, eventually, both Tryon and Bacavis hope to include even more artistic opportunities at Shutter and Strum.
"We've talked to tattoo artists, culinary artists, poets, [and] writers," stated Tryon.
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This summer, through the Arts in Society grant from the Redline Contemporary Art Center in Denver, the organization was able to offer a free photography course as a part of a program called, 'Unshuttered.'
Through free photography workshops, therapy from trauma specialists, and a public art exhibition with various opportunities for community dialogue, Shutter and Strum's "Unshuttered" project will empower young survivors of intergenerational trauma to become agents of change in Colorado Springs.
While the operations primary focus is on assisting and empowering the youth of Colorado Springs, the space also offers separate workshops open to the public.
For more information on Shutter and Strum and the classes they offer, visit their website.
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