In May 12, 2012, IATA hosted a CEU training event with Judy Sutherland
on Adlerian Art Therapy to about 20 participants. The focus of the
workshop was on art therapy as related to Adlerian theory. The three
hours included creating two drawings--what frustrates you, and what
fulfills you--that were then explored by sharing and processing the
images created with the group. Judy reflected that you can see through
the artwork what is going on in your life at the moment and how the
art-making process taps into who you are and what you believe. For
those willing to volunteer, we looked at how we each heard the
instructions, where we placed our images in relation to one another,
and what that might say about how we move through life and the
relationship between frustration and fulfillment. Judy emphasized how
we have choice in what we are telling ourselves and offered
encouragement for participants to change something about their image
if they wanted. Participants included some people new to Adlerian
concepts as well as some more well-versed, and several people
attending an IATA event for the first time.
 One participant had even taken a course many years ago with Tee Dreikurs, Judy's mentor and
author of Cows Can Be Purple: My Life and Art Therapy, and was able to
share her experience of that with the group. A student visitor from
Northwestern University was also in attendance and commented on the
rich sharing and openness of the group and process, which was very
moving for her.

May 11, 2012

SPEAK PEACE is an exhibit of 34 selected artworks on themes of peace and war on loan from the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam paired with response poems to the images by American children, veterans and established poets. Suellen Semekoski led a discussion on the condition of people who were affected by bio-weapon and other after-mass of the war in Vietnam. 

On May 5th, the Illinois Art Therapy Association partnered with Equestrian Connection's community art group and art therapy program in Lake Forest, IL to integrate "hopeful resilience" within Equestrian Connection's community.  The "Tree of Hope" tied into Children Mental Health Awareness Day's theme "Heroes of Hope".  A 7 week project, community art group gave new life to a dead tree on the property naming it "Tree of Hope."  The group debarked the tree, showing its inner beauty and then added bird houses and symbols of hope.  The group also planted corn flowers around the tree as an organic fence.  The community members of Equestrian Connection are "Heroes of Hope."  Thank you IATA for helping paint bird houses and symbols of hope!