LACONIA — Creative Recovery, part of Navigating Recovery of the Lakes Region, was started by people familiar with unfortunate circumstances, interested in improving their situation.
 
A few years ago, Elaine Morrison, a retired special education teacher and artist, and Dick Smith, a former social worker and amateur photographer, started River Crew Art. The program gave homeless individuals the opportunity to use painting and photography as an outlet. Some of the participants began attending AA meetings. The group met once a week.
 
Using the Busiel Community Room Gallery to display the art, the public and with city officials arrived to a packed room to view the gallery.
 
Morrison and Smith have now joined forces with Navigating Recovery and formed a group of artists that meets regularly in the NR offices on Main Street to share their talents as part of their recovery, Creative Recovery.
 
The program uses media most familiar to Smith and Morrison — drawing, painting, and photography — as well as skills from guest artists, like pottery, knitting, and writing. Alan MacRae, a local professional photographer, offers additional photography instruction. Marlene Witham, a former art instructor and artist member of the Lakes Region Art Association is a new volunteer.
 
In August of 2018, the Busiel Community Room Gallery at One Mill Plaza held another exhibit. The venue quickly ran out of room and Joe Adrignola, who manages the building, invited Creative Recovery to return again to display more of their work. That led Adrignola to devote the gallery space to Creative Recovery on a regular basis.
 
Community displays such as the New Hampshire Chapter of the AIA with annual award boards and some seasonal displays return each year, and will continue under the program Adrignola and Creative Recovery envision, giving participants a break.
 
On Thursday, April 25, the Creative Recovery artists and photographers are holding a reception to display their recent art. All are invited to the Community Room at One Mill Plaza in the Busiel Mill, between Laconia City Hall and the Belknap Mill. The exhibit will run 5-8 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Joe Adrignola at 603-496-3839.

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