Gun violence in focus at youth-led art exhibit by Team ENOUGH Denver

DENVER (KDVR) — Youth organizers in Denver are bringing attention to gun violence and underscoring its impact on teens, all through art.

First Baptist Church of Denver is the temporary home to an art exhibit by Team ENOUGH Denver, a youth-led organization with a mission to educate young people about gun violence in hopes of ending it.

“There’s Arapahoe High School, STEM, Club Q’s on there, Columbine, Deer Creek,” said Lucy Sarkissian, referencing Denver-area schools and public places that suffered shootings. She is one of the lead organizers of the exhibit.

At least 25 high schoolers have signed up to show their artwork, whether it’s 3D, digital, painting or drawing, including Jolynn Intermill.

“I’m here as a senior so I made it,” Intermill said. She created a piece where you can see the names of children and schools, all victims of mass shootings.

“You always see, like five people died, six people died, 10 kids died. But what were their names? Like who was their mother, who was their family, who were the people who are mourning their loss right now?” Intermill said.

School shootings leave a mark on young people

In the last year, an analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. It’s a statistic Sarkissian, who’s only 18, said is too familiar.

“It is a constant reminder of what happened to me in a lot of ways,” she said.

She was 14 years old at STEM School Highlands Ranch when a shooting happened across the hall. One teen was killed and eight others were hurt.

“I’m constantly on edge, I’m hypervigilant about my surroundings,” she said.

“They’re not in our position, and that’s why there are so many people passionate about it and not so many adults,” Intermill said, explaining how young people are shaped by the young people who live every day, fearing for their lives and fired up over the lack of response from lawmakers to gun violence.

“America is unique in that we have people who want to do evil things and who are probably suffering from some sort of mental health crisis, and then we allow those people to have guns,” Sarkissian said.

To purchase tickets and for more information about Team ENOUGH Denver, visit their website.