Originally posted at: https://dailyiowan.com/2025/10/26/into-light-benefit-concert-brought-awareness-to-the-addiction-epidemic/ by Hannah Childers, Arts Reporter
The concert featured local musicians, poetry readings, and distributed resources through the UI Addiction Recovery Collaborative.
The James Theater hosted the Into Light Benefit Concert on Sunday, Oct. 26. The concert was designed to raise awareness and funds for The Into Light project, a non-profit organization committed to sharing stories about and spreading awareness of substance use disorder across the country. The project currently has an exhibit in the Old Capitol Museum.
The exhibit features over 30 portraits, each accompanied by a narrative written by a member of the Into Light team with the help of the deceased’s friends and family members.
CEO and founder Theresa Clower established the non-profit organization in 2019, one year after her son Devin died from an accidental overdose. Wanting to tell his story inspired Clower to seek out and share other people’s stories.
“After completing Devin’s portrait, I felt the need and the calling and the deep commitment to opening up the conversation about drug addiction and humanizing those that suffered like Dev did, through portraiture and storytelling,” Clower said.
In addition to portraits and narratives, the exhibit also had “Ask me about [blank]” buttons that visitors could wear to help spread awareness. At the benefit concert, journalist Michael Judge wore an “Ask me about Devin” button and told the story of Clower’s son.
Musician and co-event organizer of the concert, David Zollo, felt a deep connection with the project. As a recovering person who suffered from substance use disorder, Zollo found the exhibit very powerful.
“It’s incredibly powerful and heartbreaking,” Zollo said. “It’s not necessarily always an easy thing to experience, but I mean, that’s what makes it such an incredible piece.”
For Zollo, music played a role in his recovery. An organization known as Musicares covered the cost of his treatment. During his time in the treatment center, Zollo had access to a piano for an hour every day, where he wrote songs that ended up on a record called “For Hire.”
RELATED: The Into Light Project sparks conversation about substance use disorder across Iowa
“They represent an avenue out of a hellish, painful place,” Zollo said. “In that sense, they mean everything to me. I’m very blessed to have this outlet to be able to translate some of those experiences, because it probably has saved my life more than once.”
Attendee Tammy Poeschl is also a survivor of substance use disorder, and is currently working as a peer recovery coach at Community & Family Resources in Iowa City.
“It was important for me to come out today to support the community and to hold space for those people who have lost people due to addiction and mental illness,” Poeschl said. “[To] be a part of this community that supports us all.”
As a peer recovery coach, she helps others recovering from substance use disorder attend 12-step meetings, find housing, and regain custody of their children in Family Treatment Court.
In addition to local musicians, outside the venue, UI Addiction Recovery Center staff offered bags with Narcan, a nasal spray designed to aid in the event of overdose, and information cards. For attendee Levi Wagner, a first responder in Blairstown, Iowa, he appreciated the gesture.
“I love [how] Narcan is being spread and handed out free,” Wagner said. “I feel like there’s a higher probability that people who overdose can get medical treatment now.”
His brother, Jason Gryp, is one of the 32 portraits featured in the Iowa exhibit. His portrait is captioned with the words, “Jason is not his addiction.”
The proceeds from the benefit will go toward making the exhibit more durable for travel, which was the reason for Wagner’s attendance at the concert.
“We just want to support [the project],” he said, “It’s going to be more meaningful for the project to travel throughout Iowa and let other people be aware of the epidemic that’s out there with overdose.”
