COMMUNITY PROFILE ONE OF THE ARTISTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT IS A DENVER VOICE VENDOR WHO ASKED TO BE IDENTIFIED AS BROWN PUBLIC. LIFE ON THE EDGE OF HOMELESSNESS Elevated Denver Exhibit Uses Photography to Challenge Stereotypes STORY BY GILES CLASEN PHOTOS BY BROWN PUBLIC ELEVATED DENVER has invited the public to see homelessness through a new lens. Its latest project, “Life on the Edge of Homelessness: A Storytelling Experience,” showcases photographs taken by people living on the brink of losing housing or already without stable shelter. The September exhibit, which opened at Cameron Church on Sept. 18, featured photographs, personal narratives, and mirrored prompts for visitors, all designed to push audiences to reflect on their own experiences and assumptions. “The intention of the project was to honor our roots at Elevated Denver in storytelling, and to sort of cultivate compassion among all of our community. We wanted to allow people to step into the space where they can see “ THEY ARE PUSHED DOWN, MARGINALIZED, STOMPED ON BY THE SYSTEMS. AND YET, SO MANY OF THESE PICTURES PEOPLE TOOK WERE OF REALLY BEAUTIFUL THINGS...” what life is like for people who have shared and different experiences and to really understand that there’s a lot more that binds us than separates us,” said Johnna Flood, cofounder of Elevated Denver. Over two weeks, artists used the camera in their phones to document daily challenges and moments of meaning. Flood and her team then worked with each participant to pair images with narratives written in the artists’ own words. One of the artists who participated in the project is a Denver VOICE vendor who asked to be identified as Brown Public. Public saw this as an opportunity to show viewers what often remains unseen. “They asked me to try to capture the atmosphere of homelessness or being unhoused. I tried to take some 6 DENVER VOICE October 2025
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