Feature Story
“Art can be a really powerful tool in recovery, and in helping us cope with life.”
Inside The Art Room, where healing takes place through art
(DENTON, Texas – Sept. 4, 2024) A bright cyan-blue door. A neon abstract flower on a garage door. The strong scent of wet glue, like the smell of an art teacher’s room during the papier-mâché unit. These are the signs that welcome the members of The Art Room to the studio.
The actual inside of the studio itself is quite large, yet every corner, cranny and nook is full. Shelves and cabinets are pushed back against every corner of the room. Some are stuffed and overflowing with books about various art mediums, while others hold artwork created by the organization’s members.
Paintings and inspirational quotes fill the empty spaces in between. There is even a miniature vending machine, where members can trade their quarters for others’ postcard-sized drawings and paintings.
In the center of the room there are rectangular tables lined up in rows. Volunteers quickly set various materials on them as they prep for Wednesday’s session.
“A big part of our mission is to create a safe space,” says Maryam Flory, the vice president of the organization.
The Art Room, a nonprofit founded by Marlys Lamar, has served over 500 people since its opening in 2019. The organization is passionate about providing support for individuals with mental health challenges by creating an environment where they can express themselves through art. The nonprofit doesn’t see itself as a replacement for therapy. Instead, it considers itself a gateway, for individuals intimidated by therapy, to start the healing process.
“Dr. Marlys is a psychologist, and I am a licensed professional counselor,” Flory explains. “Marlys is also an artist herself, so the idea was we wanted to make both things more approachable and remove barriers for both.”
The Art Room hosts weekly structured sessions three times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) where its members are led through art projects by mental health professionals, local artists, and volunteers. Wednesday’s sessions are exclusively for veterans, while Thursday’s sessions host their general adult participants.
Tuesday’s sessions are specifically reserved for its Studio 416 members. Studio 416 is a specific section of The Art Room that works exclusively with teens in the community. The program is dedicated to making art and mental health support more accessible for them.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42% of American students reported feeling sad for a prolonged period of time in 2021.
“We hope that they leave with, honestly, a sense of calmness. A feeling that they were able to express themselves in some way, because sometimes words can be hard,” Flory says.
The organization has received positive feedback from members in all three of its groups. They’ve reported feelings of accomplishment and growth of confidence. Some have even reported feeling like their leadership skills have improved since joining the program.
In addition to structured sessions, all members of The Art Room are welcome to participate in the weekly open studio sessions the organization offers, where they can work on any project they wish. The Art Room has resources and materials that allow members to work on anything from painting to sewing, crocheting and more. Members can choose to showcase any of the projects they create in The Art Room during the nonprofit’s yearly spring exhibition.
At the end of the day, the nonprofit wants to help people reflect on the value of therapeutic art and its healing qualities.
“We all had the same philosophy and vision about art,” Flory reveals. “That art can be a really powerful tool in recovery, and in helping us cope with life.”
As more volunteers and veterans start to pile into the studio, Flory gets up to greet them. Meanwhile, Leslie Kregel finishes setting out the rest of the last of the materials, neon orange rubber ear plugs, for tonight’s session. The ear plugs join the metal wires and worksheets already on the table
“We’re working on wire sculptures tonight,” Kregel whispers. “The ear plugs are to stick the wires together, but we’re keeping it a secret still to see what kind of theories the members come up with.”
Kregel is a local artist and longtime volunteer at The Art Room; she currently leads the veteran program. The most rewarding part of working with the organization to her is seeing how its members evolve.
“You see a lot of personal growth,” Kregel states. “It's been exciting to see some of our members just really go on to do an amazing range of things.”
