Nick Ramalho has always loved art, but his spray-painted graffiti used to be a secret thing. People typically didn’t know who had done it and generally weren’t happy about it.
But now the 27-year-old Keene resident has a mural proudly displayed in downtown Keene, and vibrant business cards that read “Nicholas Ramalho: Artist.”
That’s thanks to the Cheshire County Treatment Court, and to Ramalho’s own hard work and commitment to his recovery from an addiction, he and Recovery Coach Seamus Batdorf-Dwyer said.
Ramalho designed and created the freehand spray paint mural, which features a smiling moose and brightly colored landscape, on the wall of the Mighty Moose Mart on Winchester Street. It took Ramalho two four-hour painting sessions and several shorter sessions for touch-ups to complete.
Before graduating from the Treatment Court program, participants are required to complete a “give back” project. Treatment Court is a program for Cheshire County residents with felony convictions who have been diagnosed with substance use disorders. For Batdorf-Dwyer, the best part of the job is “to see people reintegrate into society in a way that’s not only not harmful, but beneficial.”
Ramalho said he was initially nervous about the project, but gained confidence when he asked Chris and Colleen Rietmann, the owners of Mighty Moose, if they’d be interested in a mural and they were enthusiastic.
The Rietmanns said the building has a history as a canvas for local artists and they were excited about Ramalho’s ideas. The previous owners had allowed Keene State students to paint murals on parts of the building. Ramalho completed his mural shortly before Thanksgiving.
The Rietmanns are thrilled with how the mural turned out, and said they’ve received compliments about it from residents of the student housing near the store.
‘Life is so good now’
After spending several years in and out of prison, and failing to complete Treatment Court, Ramalho said he’s aced the program this time around and recovery has changed his life. He now has his own place, a car and a job.
He’s been an employee at Live Free Recovery Services in Keene for about a year and he’s currently eligible to graduate from Treatment Court by the end of the year. “It’s been a long time coming,” Ramalho said of his graduation.
Stable housing helped Ramalho succeed this time around, he said, as did the support of Batdorf-Dwyer, the sense of purpose he got from working at Live Free, and his own desire to turn his life around.
“I got sick of living that lifestyle,” he said. “Life is so good now and I felt so hopeless before that it would ever be this way.”
True to himself
Ramalho said some aspects of Treatment Court felt like just going through the motions, but the mural project was something that felt very true to himself. “It gave me joy,” he said, “and I feel pride that it’s out there.”
The Rietmanns said Ramalho gave them several options from his portfolio as ideas for the mural, but they encouraged him to follow his own artistic judgment.
Batdorf-Dwyer said he admires that in his recovery, too, Ramalho has stayed true to himself. Batdorf-Dwyer’s own recovery, he said, initially felt “soul-deadening” and “conforming,” but he feels Ramalho shows that people can recover without sacrificing their personality and can find ways to do good with their unique skills.
The beginning of Treatment Court can be daunting, Batdorf-Dwyer said. There are a lot of requirements for participants, who are often coming into the program from a low period in their lives, and it can be stressful. His words of encouragement? “Life will be fun again.”
Participants develop a substance use disorder treatment plan, complete assessments, attend treatment and self-help meetings, meet with a case manager, obtain a high-school level credential, seek employment or further education, and pair with a sponsor or recovery coach. When he completes the program, Ramalho will be eligible for three years of probation, instead of five, according to court records.
The Rietmanns describe the mural as “fun” and “quirky.” “You see it and you have to smile,” Colleen Rietmann said.
As for Ramalho, he’s in training to become a certified recovery support worker and plans to continue working with others seeking recovery. And in his free time, he’s looking for more business owners who might want to spruce up their exteriors.
Abigail Ham can be reached at 603-355 8554 or aham@keenesentinel.com.
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