We are continuing to assess the situation for the 52nd Annual Conference this fall. We appreciate all our members who responded to the two surveys we conducted asking for input about your plans for attending an in-person conference. Along the way, we have continued to monitor the status of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as always, the safety and well-being of our members, conference attendees, and volunteers is our primary concern and focus. We are now planning to open registration on July 15. As we have communicated before, regardless of whether we are able to hold an in-person conference, we do plan to also offer a virtual conference. Stay updated on conference news here.

On June 26, 2021, Ohio representatives C. Allison Russo and Jamie Callender introduced House Bill 359 to license and regulate art therapists and music therapists. Five additional cosponsors have signed on to the legislation, which would create separate licenses with distinct requirements administered by two different boards: the art therapy license under the State Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, and the music therapy license under the State Medical Board. 

It is with appreciation for all her contributions to this association that I announce the departure of Kat Michel, Sr. Manager, Member Services, from AATA as she begins the next phase of her career. She has shared with us an incredible 7 years of passion, grace, and impact for what is now a stronger AATA.

Kat shared the following reflection on our member forum last week about her time at AATA:

"It has been my joy to have been able to work with AATA for the past five plus years, and to share in this journey that we’ve all undertaken as a community to support art therapy. I started out as an AATA member myself, eager art therapy student and all, and seeing the organization evolve and change over time has been a formative experience. I’ve gotten to know so many of you over the years - hearing your stories, successes, and struggles – and saying goodbye to the AATA team and community is the hardest part."

One of the ways that I have used Art Therapy as a tool to advance this work is by incorporating interventions focused on identity exploration. By creating a safe space for individuals to express their identities, intersections, and ongoing development through art making, we can facilitate the processing of complex feelings and traumas and the validation of their unique perspectives. Individuals may also feel a sense of empowerment by being able to take charge of their own narrative and how it is represented in their artwork.

VIDEO: "When Shreveport’s Commission on Race and Diversity were discussing what they could do that would be positive in the community, local art therapist Rebecca Thomas suggested a mural. Another member of the commission, Galilee Pastor Brian Wilson, offered the Stewart-Bell Stadium wall."

"Artwork created by individuals living with mental illness will be showcased in a new art gallery located at TReC, the co-working incubator operated by Niagara University’s Niagara Global Tourism Institute... 'The work in this show is a representation of art created by people who experience mental illness,' said Sandie Crocker, art therapist at Niagara Visions PROS. 'Producing art has brought them an escape. Many of us have experienced depression or anxiety in response to major events in our life. We realize how painful it can be.'"

VIDEO: "Licensed mental health counselor and certified art therapist Lindsey Brooks, of McNulty Counseling and Wellness, joins Gayle Guyardo on Bloom with ways to help children develop socially after being shut in during the pandemic."

"THREAD uses art—songwriting and recording programs, as well as visual and dramatic arts, spoken word, movement, and more—as a healing tool through artistic residencies, guided workshops, and projects reaching individuals and communities impacted by trauma, whether survivors of domestic and other abuses, those coping with and recovering from addiction, veterans, cancer surivors, people impacted by racial, gender, religious, or other discrimination, and anyone struggling with mental health issues."

VIDEO: "About 10 years after surgeons at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital performed heart surgery on her, a thrilled Jordanna Podesta returned Friday with her family to the vibrant blue and green painted hallways of the Hollywood institution...The children’s hospital officially announced Friday the new partnership with Jozza, a Brazilian painter known for bright and abstract art influenced by Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, and other pop artists. Jozza said he donated two oversized pieces of art, each valued from about $8,000 to $15,000, to hang inside the hospital for its Art Therapy Program for patients and families."

"The city has plans for the first and second floors of Chinatown Gateway Plaza, according to Makanani Sala, Honolulu's Culture and Arts Director. She said the idea is to create a hub for theater, arts, events and collaborations—and that's good news for area businesses of every kind....Communities across the country, including Hawai'i, are feeling the after effects as pandemic fears ebb, according to Kumi Macdonald, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Mental Illness, Hawai'i or NAMI, Hawai'i...Art therapy through licensed practitioners is covered by insurance, Macdonald said."