UNBROKEN: Healing through storytelling

Aiming to turn pain into purpose, UNBROKEN: A Photography Pop-Up Experience will be held at the Art Garage on Thursday, May 14.

Anthony Alvarado, founder of the peer-led nonprofit RISE TOGETHER shares his experiences in starting this project.

“Art has been one of those things that’s been a gift from the universe. I noticed it was the first compliments I got as a kid painting, doodling, sketching and sculpting clay when I was a teen,” Alvarado said.

After losing his son Gavyn due to an accidental fentanyl poisoning in 2020, Alvarado has turned back towards art.

“Art has been a healing space for me. The entire project was centered around finding my voice again. I picked up a camera when I stopped speaking and since then, I’ve collected these amazing little moments where the camera helped me discover my voice again,” he said.

RISE TOGETHER initially began as a medium to allow art to communicate difficult messages, originally starting off by sharing seven portraits and their stories over seven days, evolving into a nonprofit organization that combats youth substance abuse by encouraging community and self-expression.

Similarly, UNBROKEN also aims to encourage a sense of community and expression, now through the voices of grieving parents.

“UNBROKEN is my tool for healing, launched over this past year to help my own individual grief. You see so many people losing loved ones and children in recovery, to be able to go out and save lives through the power of storytelling, to help play a role in breaking the cycle of addiction, it’s everything,” he said. “In sharing stories, the art, craft and wordplay sat as a gift I had outside of art; this gift of being able to communicate difficult messages.”

Originally debuting in Appleton, UNBROKEN now travels to Green Bay, with oncoming opportunities to also travel all over the United States. Using his mediums of spoken word, speeches and photography, Alvarado honed his skills to inspire those around him to speak and not remain in isolation.

“By 2020 we were already in our 8th or 9th year of RISE TOGETHER and by then we’ve gone to the state and nation capitals to talk; he even spoke at the state capital. At 17, I watched my son go from his best academic year to quickly deteriorating in eight months. His life got very difficult and isolated in the global pandemic. Young people really suffered and my son did as he spiraled. We’re now celebrating what would’ve been his 23rd birthday,” he said.

“I think about that and how they get there, my parents taught me how to use drugs, I never wanted any of that for my son. When I walked into that room that day and saw my son passed away on the couch, laying under a poster of Kurt Cobain from MTV Unplugged — at that age I was doing crack cocaine, I was out of control… I see my son there never made it to 18, never got to figure it out. One bad day turned into the worst day ever,” Alvarado added.

UNBROKEN’s photo pop ups allow a place of pure expression in the toughest times any parent could face.

After hearing the experiences of countless parent’s stories one on one, Alvarado advocates for the impact of storytelling, especially in sharing it.

“The biggest fear is losing a child. There’s so much fear There’s daily reminders of where I’ve come from. I had to experience great loss to find myself again. One of the gifts my son has given me is to find out who I am again and to step into it. UNBROKEN has brought life back to me. It’s brought life back into my life,” he said.

Alvarado compares UNBROKEN’s approach to music producer Rick Rubin’s creative philosophy to ignore perfectionism and focusing on getting a work out with the world.

“Sharing stories is part of mending. Not just capturing the moment but moments like when a parent says this is what I’ve learned, this is what I’m sharing. There’s a strength found in that resilience,” he said.

Collaborating with award winning Milwaukee artist Jeremiah Martinez, known for Butter with the Shutter Photography, they will lead the pop up exhibit as a space for people to connect in.

“I want people to know you’re not alone. Regardless of who you are, you can lean on me. That reminder is so important. No matter who I talk to, people feel like they’re the only ones going through it,” he said.

“I don’t know anyone else with my story, but I know that 200 people a day die from drug overdose, accidental fentanyl poisonings, leaving hundreds of thousands of stories over years, what do we do with that?” Alvarado added.

UNBROKEN will be open to the public Thursday May 14 from 5-9 p.m. at The Art

Garage, located at 1400 Cedar St., Green Bay.

“The Art Garage has a wonderful location and it’ll have about 15 gallery photos up, half artistic photography and half stories of overdose. We partnered with a coffee shop so there’ll be sweets and coffee as well,” he said.

With another UNBROKEN pop up heading to Milwaukee in the near future, Alvarado shared his long term goals.

“The long term goal is that after we’ve collected these portraits over 12 months, we’ll install a large showcasing mural. We’ve had luck in Wisconsin to put up a large adhesive mural, and whether it’s something like glass or cement, we’re hoping at least 15 by 20 feet. We already have it in progress, we just have to finish the photos,” he said.

Alvarado encourages people to contact him with any questions.

Visit anthonyalvarado.com/unbroken to find out more information.