Comanche Nation Prevention and Recovery Residents Featured in Gallery

Circles of Care teamed up with Prevention and Recovery for residents to use art as therapy, which was displayed Thursday, January 23, at the Comanche National Museum and Culture Center.

Families and community members gathered for the gallery opening.

Director of Circles of Care Shailah Ramos said she proposed a 14-week art therapy curriculum for residential clients. She contacted the museum to see if they wanted to showcase the gallery.

“So, I facilitated the class so every week for about two hours on Mondays, the clients and I would gather and we would do art,” she said. “We would do discussion and talk about feelings; do therapy and we would get into the art; which is also therapy.”

Ramos said art is a way to release expression and has always been an outlet for her.

“It’s a daily thing for me so it’s very second nature,” she said. “It’s just like walking. It’s just something I do.”

She asked the clients what art has done for them and said there was lots of positive feedback. 

“It reduced their depression, it reduced anxiety, it brought out things in them from their childhood that they never got to experience before,” Ramos said. “Certain clients really loved the discussion part because we got to dig deep into certain areas that they wouldn’t typically dig deep into. So, challenging them about their thinking their feelings and then their behaviors.”

One of those was client Marc Mantzke. He said his inspiration came from Ramos’ discussions at the beginning of class.

“Going through our trauma and getting into an uncomfortable place and getting that out and growing from it,” Mantzke said. “So, once she did that and opened us up, I was willing to use art as an expression.”

He said his favorite project was making the drum, putting a stain on it, and hitting it while watching the stain bounce.

“It was really inspiring, like a heartbeat,” Mantzke said. “And then watching the art create itself right away.”

Mantzke said culture is prevention and art.

“And that’s a way to prevent us from addiction and learning new ways in connections to stay sober,” he said.

Mantzke said he enjoyed the program.

“Just how Shailah was with us, with her love and her empathy,” he said. “That really opened my heart.”

Clients received certificates for completing the 14 weeks at the event.

“It wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows and paint splatter and…all of those things,” Ramos said. “It was pretty trying sometimes, so to be able to get through that and come out on the outside was really good.”

Ramos said the museum did a wonderful job at putting up the gallery.

“It looks so good to see it in that light because we’ve been looking at it for 14 weeks but to see it displayed the way it’s displayed; we did the framing we got it ready to hang, but they displayed it,” she said.

Ramos said the artists would be seen throughout the art world.

“Pay attention to who you see today because you’ll see them again in the future in the art world and culture world,” she said. “Just pay attention to who you see displayed today because you’ll see them again.”

Participants of the event were able to receive a free T-shirt and enjoy refreshments.