Adam Priebnow believes there’s a better way to heal from substance use disorders — and it includes art. “One person I’m working with now said they were trying to find crafts to help them navigate their early recovery,” said Priebnow, who has been a licensed clinical addiction counselor since 2014. “They made a terrarium last week and told me, ‘It lets me create and do something versus sitting there thinking about drinking.’” Priebnow is one of several addiction counselors at Soul Solutions Recovery Center, which serves the Fargo-Moorhead community. In 2021, the organization opened a recovery center at 1801 38th St. S. in Fargo and incorporated various arts into the program, including ceramics. Priebnow, who is also a ceramics artist, recently expanded Soul Solutions’ ability to offer ceramic arts at the facility through adding a kiln to the ceramics room they opened in 2022. Clay art made by patients at Solutions Recovery Center is seen on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Fargo. Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum In 2023, Priebnow applied for and received an Art For All grant from The Arts Partnership to offset costs of purchasing, installing and managing the kiln in a designated clay room at the south Fargo facility. ADVERTISEMENT “Soul Solutions’ mission to bring art-related therapies to the recovery experience just shows how powerful the act of creating can be on any type of healing journey, whether that’s addiction, grief or something else,” TAP Executive Director Tania Blanich said. “We’re so thankful for artists and counselors like Adam in our community who see the value of art in all aspects of life.” Art For All grants are geared toward nonprofit human services agencies that wish to include art-related activities in their mission-driven work. These grants, funded in part by Choice Bank and other corporate funders, are meant to invest in organizations and projects that aspire to grow and cultivate community through the arts, primarily to benefit underserved populations, according to The Arts Partnership, which manages the grant program. 2023 grantees include Soul Solutions as well as Fraser, Habitat For Humanity,
immigrant Development Center, Jasmin Childcare Center, Cultural Diversity Resources, Red River Human Services Foundation and Epic Charities. A different environment Solutions Recovery Center is seen on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Fargo. Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum Soul Solutions Clinic Director Patti Senn said art gives people options for communicating their experiences and feelings. “Not everyone connects in a discussion circle, or they don’t feel comfortable opening up in that environment, so whatever can connect them from a different angle is great," Senn said. "Art is another way to engage people outside of the sharing circle.” Senn added that the recovery center also incorporates
music therapy to its programming, as arts and music activities can be effective in supporting treatment. “It’s really helping people connect in a way that’s not so clinical, too,” she said. “Art creates a different environment that often opens doors that were perhaps blocked.” Because substance use disorders affect an individual and their family and friends, the focus on art as a therapy modality is just one way the treatment center hopes to expand its services and offerings to accommodate whole-family care . Both Senn and Priebnow see art as a critical component to that growth. ‘Art gets me out of my head’ Clay art made by patients at Solutions Recovery Center is seen on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Fargo. Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum Since adding the kiln, Priebnow has used the clay room in therapy sessions. In classes, patients can choose to make a mug or serving tray, incorporating an object that might have sentimental value. It gives their hands something to do when they’re communicating about tough stuff, like addiction-related memories, traumas and emotions. ADVERTISEMENT “Art gets me out of my head,” a Soul Solutions patient who wishes to remain anonymous said. “It also helps me process things in different parts of my brain.” Pottery isn’t the only option at Soul Solutions. Priebnow encourages his patients to try different kinds of art, like writing, coloring and music. Living with addiction is something Priebnow knows intimately. Years ago, he himself got tired of living in active addiction. Clay art made by patients at Solutions Recovery Center is seen on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Fargo. Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum “I was lucky enough to have gotten treatment,” he said, adding that the right support in place and people pushing him towards the path of recovery made all the difference. He took on clay early in his journey because he saw how it helped his
Friends in recovery. “They made me believe I could be good at it,” Priebnow said. “Now I can help pass on my knowledge of pottery to others to aid in their recovery.” Read more from The Arts Partnership Fargo’s Hector International Airport brings local art to travelers Apr 1 The art of worship: Local faith leaders discuss artistic elements of Christianity Mar 25 Late-blooming artists discover creative outlets enhance their happiness — and health Mar 18 Ceramic artist Eugene Ofori Agyei explores cultural identity and belonging in artworks Mar 11 This article is part of a content partnership with The Arts Partnership, a nonprofit organization cultivating the arts in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. For more information, visit theartspartnership.net. Comments Share Share this article Supported by Supported by Produced with financial support from an organization or individual that did not approve or review the work. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags THE ARTS PARTNERSHIP ART FARGO By Lonna Whiting Lonna Whiting is an independent journalist and content strategy consultant based in Fargo. She covers a broad range of topics, including local arts, health care, senior living, startups, technology and education. Whiting also writes extensively about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease for journals and publications such as Being Patient , an award-winning global news forum for dementia researchers, physicians, patients and their care partners. Read more of Whiting’s work at lonna.co . Conversation