Christian Glass' family creates new community space in Lyons, Colorado
Artwork created by Christian Glass now lines the walls of a new community space in Lyons, a place his family hopes will give teens and young adults a safe place to connect, create, and spend time together.
For his mom, Sally Glass, the space is also a way to make sure her son is remembered for who he was and not just how he died.
"When I remember Christian, he was up a tree. He was chasing a duck. He was on the swings. He was doing his art," Sally said.
Christian was shot and killed by a Clear Creek County sheriff's deputy in 2022 after he called 911 while experiencing a mental health crisis. His death led to years of court proceedings. The Glass family ultimately received a $19 million settlement.
Now, they're putting some of that money toward creating what they call Creative Grounds, a community hub in Lyons.
"We want Christian not to be forgotten, you know. And the trial when he was murdered was all about how he was killed, and it was all very awful," Sally said. "Now we get to talk about Christian and what a really cool person he was."
The space will include a coffee shop open to people of all ages, outdoor space and classrooms where teens and young adults can gather through art programs.
For Sally, using the settlement to build something positive has become part of her healing.
"I feel like putting that money to good use and putting it out to the community and doing good things with it can turn it into... happy money, and that's what I feel like we're doing with blood money. We're getting it back out and doing real good with it," she said.
The location also carries personal meaning for the Glass family. After Christian's death, Sally said her family struggled.
"When Christian was killed, for about a year we were struggling. We were really struggling mentally, and so we bought a small cabin on the hills outside Lyons just to be away from everything," she said.
What started as a place for the family to heal eventually became the home for Christian's art center.
"It wasn't designed to be in Lyons, but I'm so pleased it fits perfectly here," Sally said.
The community has already begun using the space through a soft opening, and says they've already received a warm welcome from residents.
"I wish Christian was here. He's not. He was taken from us, but he got to give something back to the world with this beautiful art center," Sally said.
Creative Grounds will have its grand opening Wednesday, with art classes and other programming to follow.
