PHOENIX — If the walls of Gallery 119 could talk, they'd tell an unbelievable story of poverty, violence and drugs.
Joel Coplin is the owner of the art studio located right in the middle of the Phoenix homeless encampment known as 'The Zone.'
"It just kept compiling and getting worse and worse," said Coplin.
He's lived at the art gallery for five years.
"I lived in New York previously and you know it was common to step over somebody lying on the sidewalk. So, I'm a little bit used to it, but this has just gone beyond the pale," said Coplin.
As an artist, he uses his paintings to document what he's seen.
Javier Soto: Tell me about this painting because you said this is something you see often.
"Yeah, I got up in the middle of the night, couldn't sleep and I got a glass of water, walked out onto the balcony, and looked down and there was this odd thing lying in the street. I'm looking at... 'What is that thing'? And all of the sudden, it started to move. I went, Oh, my God, that's somebody and cars were whizzing by and, you know, I thought somebody's gonna get hit. So, I got dressed and ready to go, but in the meantime, a guy ran out of the crowd and went to help and touch the thing and out jumps Elizabeth, this girl I knew, and she got up and ran like, like crazy. So, it turned out because it's kind of comical if it wasn't so tragic," explained Coplin.
He tells ABC15 that's why he joined the lawsuit against the City of Phoenix, arguing 'The Zone' had become a public nuisance.
A judge ruled the city has until July 10 to clean up the area, but Coplin tells us that came after years of nearby business owners and residents trying to work with the city toward a solution.
"We have, for the past three-and-a-half years, pleaded with the city to try and do something about the encampments and homelessness and it's just grown and grown and grown and grown," said Coplin.
Despite this public nuisance that's kept his business closed, Coplin has a heart for the people who live around him.
"I've helped a lot of people," said Coplin. "When they finally get their housing vouchers, you know, I mean, it takes like a year to get your housing voucher and then they find an apartment that they can afford and deal with. And then how do you get your stuff there? So, I've loaded [them] into my pickup truck and driven them there."
He tells ABC15 he hopes one day they can all find a real place to call home.
Javier Soto: Do you foresee a time when this is all cleared out?
"I'm hoping. I'm hoping that nobody needs to sleep on the sidewalk. Nobody. Everybody should have a place to go to the bathroom. Everybody should be able to not have to scrounge around for water. So, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that this problem gets resolved and resolved in a humane way," said Coplin.
Gallery 119 is located at 119 S. 11th Avenue in Phoenix. You can see more of Coplin's paintings at joelcoplinfineart.com
