Meditative was the one word Amanda* used to describe the series of art classes she took earlier this year at Outer Cape Health Services in Wellfleet.
“It was a safe, easy, calming place for me to go,” she said. “There was no anxiety for me on whether I could do the work. Whatever you made wasn’t judged.”
Art for the sake of making art.
That was the intent of this seven-week class which was funded through a grant from the Arts Foundation and was led by artist Vicky Tomayko. It’s the second time Tomayko has taught the class which started as a pilot program between Outer Cape Health Services and Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) last fall.
While not art therapy, Tomayko said, the classes have been therapeutic.
“My approach is to somehow see what it is that each individual could benefit from art and to try to help them feel relaxed in their approach to doing things,” she said. “It is meant to be really just about how being creative can be liberating – it can help you be a whole person.”
Class sizes are purposefully small with anywhere from six to eight people attending over the course of seven weeks. They can choose to attend as many as they want.
Participants are all patients of Outer Cape Health Services who are facing behavioral health conditions that may include anxiety, depression, trauma, or substance use disorders.
For Amanda, who turned 74 this year, she has lived alone for three decades. “It is nice to be with others and making things in a supportive environment,” she shared. “It felt a bit like a community.”
There is a joy and comfort that comes in the act of creating with others.
“While it’s an art class and not a therapy group, it has the foundational aspects of what therapy is — coming together, doing something together, and having a shared experience and being able to express yourself and starting to learn about yourself,” said Brianne Smith, Director of Behavioral Health at Outer Cape Health Services. “A lot of mental health and substance use signs, symptoms, and concerns can be addressed through healthy connections. It gives them meaning, purpose, community, and feeling like other people care. A group setting is really good for that.”
She expressed gratitude to the Arts Foundation for funding the program which will include a second session this fall.
“It allows us to run the class again and also sends a really nice message to the community that the health center and the museum can collaborate on what we call cultural prescription and trying to holistically support our patients,” she said. “What excites me about this is the program looks at the resources, skills, and talents we have in our community and how can we utilize it to help the people we serve.”
For Amanda, she has displayed her work in her home which now features an assortment of mixed media pieces that include collages, sculptures, and prints. It has given her a sense of pride and a way to express her emotions in a healthy, positive way.
*Name of individual has been changed to protect their identity.