Addiction Counselor Transformed Basement into Art Gallery to Support Students

VIDEO – ART SAVES LIVES –

May 26, 2022 – “Our district has seen an increase in the number of suicide assessments being completed, increased levels of grief, and increased aggression within behavior,” he said. “We’ve also seen an elevated increase in illegal substance use.”

District 11 is urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of fentanyl amidst what they are calling “an epidemic” of synthetic opioid use. To support and anchor his students at Community Prep, Tryon created a darkroom in the school’s basement in 2018. From photography classes to exhibits, an addiction counselor connects students with art. “We had this space down here, and it kind of became a hiding spot for students with different trauma or anxiety, or who just didn’t want to go to class,” he said, adding that he noticed shy or socially strained students naturally congregating in the basement.

The following year, he expanded the photography curriculum into a classroom that serves as a working art studio, including manual and digital photography course work, photo editing, matting and framing stations and business tutorials.