Staring at drab walls while staying at home will leave anyone feeling uninspired, but this is no longer a problem for residents at the Clare Matrix addiction treatment center following last week’s virtual art workshop. On July 29, local artists Patrick Marston and Michael Brunt led participants through a color blocking art workshop on Zoom, which provided a therapeutic outlet for residents and colorful canvases to brighten up the center’s facilities.
The workshop was organized through the Venice Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber in Action Committee, which connects chamber members to local nonprofits and businesses in need of improvement. Marston and Brunt initially planned to paint a large mural at the Clare Matrix center, which provides treatment for women who struggle with substance abuse and associated mental health issues. However, they pivoted to a virtual workshop due to the restrictions of coronavirus, which have only heightened people’s needs for artistic outlets.
“With everything being shut down and a lot of the positive activities that our participants are able to enjoy outside of receiving treatment no longer being available right now, we are seeing an increase in anxiety and depression among the participants,” said Jennifer Maduko, the Development Director at Clare Matrix. “Since the mural project was on hold, the exterior and the courtyards that participants are surrounded by still had that look that doesn’t inspire someone during this time.”
The virtual art workshop provided a way to address these concerns and proved so successful that it sparked the idea for the center’s “Inspiration Series”, which will be a series of online workshops available to both patients and the greater Santa Monica community. Maduko intends to start a weekly schedule of virtual activities such as yoga, creative writing and art that can “create the idea of being in a community in a digital world.”
Marston and Brunt have years of experience exploring the therapeutic benefits of art. “For everybody to get their hands on some kind of creative project is therapy, because you can just slow down, detach, and let your right brain take over,” said Marston. “It’s our left brain that does all the thinking and worrying, and art is somewhat like meditation as you are taking a break and letting the creative take over.”
“We have learned a lot about coloring and joy. For example, it has been scientifically proven that bright colors on walls help children do better in school,” said Brunt. Maduko hopes that the bright pieces of artwork will help the women do better in their treatment and still plans to create the larger mural with Marston and Brunt, when circumstances allow it.
Organizers initially feared that the online workshop would not be conducive to giving participants one-on-one attention. But, by using large monitors and grouping participants in different rooms, Marston and Brunt were able to clearly see everyone’s work and connect with each participant individually. At first, the virtual separation made it difficult for Marston and Brunt to gauge whether participants were enjoying the process, but by the end of the session everyone expressed clear enthusiasm.
“The participants definitely really loved it,” said Maduko. “Because of the instruction from Patrick and Michael that made it very easy to follow along, people who initially thought ‘I’m not going to be able to create anything that is beautiful’, were all excited to show me what they created.”
The Clare Matrix center is known for its creative approaches to patient treatment, which helps them reach a wide range of women in need of support. According to Maduko, they live by the philosophy that an inability to pay should not be a barrier towards treatment and around 80 percent of participants in their residential program are homeless, low income, or have unstable living situations. They are also one of the few programs that allow women to bring their children into the center, which helps women who fear separation from their children access treatment.
The center is looking for volunteers to lead virtual workshops as part of the Inspiration Series. People interested in participating can contact jmaduko@clarematrix.org
The Venice Chamber in Action Committee is looking for more organizations to partner with. People interested in submitting a project application can email info@venicechamber.net.
