In this commentary, the author discusses the Open Studio Project, which he cofounded in 1995. The community studio, as perceived by the founders, is a place where anything can be expressed as a moment on life's continuum. Believing that meaning in art is renewed in the process of art itself, the project is not conceived at art therapy: there are…

Responds to two articles previously published in the "Journal of Poetry Therapy": Michael De Maria on poetry and child abuse, and Vin Rosenthal on the haiku psychotherapist. Discusses art expression with respect to the element of choice of medium, and notes implications for the process and outcome of therapy. (SR)

The article discusses--critically and from an aesthetic standpoint--artwork done by mentally retarded and autistic people and presents analyses of 11 individual works, along with plates of the works themselves and brief case histories of the artists. (DLS)

Discusses the use of art as a means of marking space and as evidence of existence, and presents a philosophy of art and art therapy. The making of marks, present in all human beings from an early developmental stage, is the source of the artmaking behavior. (JPS)

The roles of teachers and therapists, when dealing with troubled students, are clarified. If an art teacher is not trained as an art therapist, he or she cannot assume responsibility for addressing the emotional needs of these types of students. (RM)

Themes that emerged during the author's doctoral research suggest the following: anatomically based drawings may be useful in the diagnosis of certain physical pathologies, and a combination of abstract and visual modes of thinking may aid a client's cognitive understanding and verbal description of physiological processes, which may in turn aid…

Recounts the personal experience of an art therapist whose child, diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder, underwent a female-to-male gender change. Through art therapy, this mother illustrates the confusion, denial, anger, and acceptance she grappled with during her child's gender dysphoria. (LSR)

The Open Studio as a way of working evolved in an effort to maximize the effectiveness of the artmaking project as a means to increase and deepen consciousness. This method differentiates art from psychotherapy and calls into question the validity of marrying the two experiences. (JPS)

Describes the author's practical and theoretical explorations of the potentials of humanistic psychology and expressionistic writing pedagogy for academic and therapeutic learning. Creates a framework based on his own experiences where education and therapy together seek a more holistic approach to their fields. (SR)

Questions whether the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) has given adequate attention to the potential long-term and damaging effects on a child by publicly exhibiting their art produced in therapy. Ethics, confidentiality, authenticity, and censorship of client art are examined. Suggests that AATA should adopt guidelines to protect the…

Interview with Don Seiden--artist, educator, and regional pioneer in the field of art therapy practice and training in the Midwest. Seiden reflects on historical developments in the field and future trends in the profession. Central to the conversation is the unique perspective that artists bring to the fields of mental health and science.…

Compares and contrasts discipline-based art education with Viktor Lowenfeld's creative self-expression approach, using growth, medical, and molding metaphors. Maintains that these two approaches are similar because the views of the child, the teacher's role, and the relationship between them has not changed. (KM)

Recognition of the handicapped child's isolation from the environment is the basis for creative art therapy across handicapping conditions (physical disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, deafness, Blindness, speech impairment, cerebral palsy). Detachment may be overcome by self expression through drawings, paintings, and…