MARINETTE – The Marinette area is now offering two new art therapy programs that facilitate connection and healing through creative expression and artmaking.
Differing from a traditional art class, the focal point of art therapy is not the final product; but rather the process of creating and how it can support someone both emotionally and psychologically.
“Art therapy is a mental health treatment provided by a trained professional and is intentionally designed to support emotional regulation, insight, coping skills and overall well-being,” said Marissa Biswabic, art therapist and founder of Creative Routes Mobile Art Studio.
Creative Clubhouse is a collaborative program between Biswabic’s Creative Routes and the DAR Boys & Girls Club of Menominee/Marinette, funded through the Superior Health Foundation.
Serving those ages six through 18, Creative Clubhouse is hosted directly at the DAR, built into its afterschool programming.
This weekly group uses art therapy to support emotional wellness in numerous ways, including peer connection, coping skills, emotional expression and resilience.
A licensed art therapist facilitates each session where the youth are given options including drawing materials, paint, clay, mixed media and more to use creatively as a way to explore their emotions while focusing on process-based artmaking.
Touching on the many different backgrounds and experiences the youth at the DAR come from, Biswabic said, “Many face economic stress, family instability, limited access to mental health resources or challenges related to emotional regulation and social connection. Others are navigating the normal but often intense developmental transitions of childhood and adolescence.”
“Creative Clubhouse is designed to support all youth by offering preventative, relationship-based mental health care that feels approachable, engaging and non-stigmatizing. By hosting the group directly at the club, the program reduces barriers such as transportation and normalizes emotional wellness as part of everyday life,” she added.
Biswabic also emphasized the importance of collaborating with the DAR and how it is beneficial to both the youth it serves as well as making the program more accessible.
“The partnership with the DAR Boys & Girls Club is a critical component of this program’s success. The club provides a trusted, consistent space and strong community relationships, while Creative Routes brings specialized art therapy expertise. Together, this collaboration allows us to meet youth where they already feel safe and supported, making mental health care more accessible and effective,” they said.
According to DAR Boys & Girls Club Program Director Andrew Grotto, the program has been incredibly impactful for the kids.
“Since starting this partnership, we’ve seen a powerful shift in many of our participants. Kids often leave the program feeling calmer, happier and more relaxed. One of the most meaningful outcomes has been watching students who have experienced significant hardship begin to open up and communicate — sometimes for the first time. For many of our youth, simply finding their voice is a huge and critical first step in the healing process,” Grotto said.
“We are incredibly grateful to be able to offer this program through the generous funding support of the Superior Health Foundation. Their investment has made it possible for us to provide this level of care and support to kids who truly need it, and the impact continues to be felt each week.”
Another new program is a weekly art therapy open studio at Rainbow House in Marinette for survivors of relationship violence.
This group is sponsored by the Green Bay Packers Foundation and is available to any adult survivor, free of charge and no referral needed.
Participants can attend and engage at their own pace at this drop-in open studio where art therapy acts as a pathway to healing.
“Participants are invited to explore creative materials freely while being supported by a credentialed art therapist,” Biswabic said, who is also an art therapist at Rainbow House.
The open studio format is more catered to the needs of survivors, focusing on emotional safety as well as autonomy and choice.
“Art becomes a way to process experiences that can be difficult to put into words, while also fostering connection and shared understanding among participants,” said Biswabic.
These programs have a strong focus on accessibility, prioritizing services that are free or low-cost, community partnerships and grant funding to make art therapy a more broad and easier-access offering in the community.
Through art therapy programs, the community can find the ability to foster their emotional well-being and resilience at all ages. Where words fail, art can lend a helping-hand.
For more information on Creative Routes, contact info@creativeroutes.org. For more information on the art therapy open studio at Rainbow House, contact marissa@therainbowhouse.us.
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