Dear Minnesota Art Therapists,
 
     This email is to advise you that the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) will send out its Job Analysis Survey in mid-May.  We hope that you will participate in the survey, which is disseminated every five years, and spread the word about the importance of filling it out.  The ATCB Job Analysis Survey is the information-gathering instrument that drives the development of the Board Certification Examination (ATCBE).  We encourage ALL art therapists, credentialed or not, who practice in the field professionally, to complete the survey.  Participation of a maximum number of art therapists ensures the soundness of the examination and maintains the legitimacy of the ATCB board-certification credential, thus protecting the integrity of the profession we love.  The survey will be delivered to your inbox in mid-May, 2017.
 
Thank you in advance for your participation!
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The AATA is entrusted to provide leadership and assistance to engage a growing and diverse membership of trained and culturally proficient professional art therapists whose services are valued, appropriately compensated, and considered essential to the public in mental health, healthcare, education, arts, and community programs. The following iterates the core values of the Association.

· We strive for solidarity with the art therapy community and those we serve. Thus, we genuinely embrace people regardless of race, color, religious or spiritual beliefs, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, socioeconomic status, marital status, immigration status, political views, former or current military status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as new identities as they emerge.

· We advocate for the dignity, self-worth, well-being, and creative potential of all people and in the development and provision of art therapy to the public.

· We maintain commitment to strengthening AATA’s institutional cultural proficiency, and welcome and engage people of diverse backgrounds and members of diverse communities within the Association’s Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, members, and prospective members.

· We strive to be an inclusive learning-centered organization that respects and incorporates the perspectives and contributions of our members, thereby integrating the needs and viewpoints of diverse communities in the design and implementation of our strategic plan.

· We uphold social justice and sustainability through awareness, practice, and affirmation that all people deserve equal economic, environmental, healthcare, political and social rights and opportunities.

· We maintain awareness of the social and environmental consequences of human actions on any community, ecosystem, and association, with the aim of advancing a sustainable and just society.
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* This DRAFT Values Statement is open for commentary and input by members of the AATA.

All responses will be thoroughly considered. When responding, it is helpful to include alternative phrasing or words to help us better understand your meaning and rationale. Please submit your input to us at info@arttherapy.org, with the subject line, “AATA Values Statement,” by February 23rd, 2017. We look forward to hearing from you.
 

Original FaceBook Post Click Here...

In response to an article about Karen Pence days prior...

"AATA
January 26, 2017
The Second Lady of the United States, Karen Pence, has embraced art therapy for children and families as her signature cause. Art therapy is featured on her official website at WhiteHouse.gov. READ MORE..."

Deadline Extended to October 31, 2016

More than one submission per credentialed professional is welcomed!

The AATA, in partnership with Dover Publications, Inc., is creating a coloring book that will help raise public awareness of the art therapy profession.

It will be illustrated solely by AATA credentialed professional members, showcasing their talent while providing their unique perspectives on the benefits of art therapy.
Importantly, this book will promote an accurate and consistent message of art therapy as a regulated mental health profession, because the AATA will oversee written content included in the book, including the title and introduction,and ensure all content is relevant to the AATA’s mission and vision. Furthermore, the contributing artists may promote their own products/services that can be included in conjunction with their coloring page and narrative (e.g., link to professional webpage).

Some of the proceeds generated by sales of the book will directly support the AATA’s initiatives and programs, and by extension, the people who are helped by art therapists.

How to enter:

• Any credentialed professional AATA member may submit ONE OR MORE original illustrations created solely by you, the submitting artist.
• Artwork must be black and white line art. No color.
• Do not include large areas of black. Images need to have open white spaces
• for coloring.
• No cross-hatching (i.e. fine parallel lines drawn closely together to create the illusion of shade or texture in the drawing).
• Lines should connect to form complete spaces that can be colored in.
• Artwork must adhere to a “nature” theme which can include landscapes, seascapes, animals, plants, etc. in any style (i.e. realistic, fantasy, designs, overall patterns, etc.).
• Image area for artwork is 7 ⅛ x 10.
• Image must be vertical.
• Try to compose your picture using the complete image area.

For more information and to submit your entry, visit:
http://www.doverpublications.com/aatasubmission

Entries must be submitted no later than October 31, 2016.

To help artists gain a sense of Dover’s expectations in terms of quality and content, please refer to examples from these sources:

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486494500.html

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486491374.html

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486804011.html

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486472450.html

http://www.doverpublications.com/contests-and-sweepstakes/nature-bounty

Dover will select approximately 35 illustrations from all those submitted to be included in the
published book and will contact only those artists whose work is chosen.
All finalists will be asked for a brief narrative to accompany their artwork. Guidelines for the narrative will be sent to finalists after the selection process is complete.

We hope that AATA credentialed professional members will join us in this unique opportunity to educate the public and promote the art therapy profession through this exciting and worthwhile venture!

AATA
October 6, 2016
The American Art Therapy Association and our friends at Americans for the Arts are celebrating October as National Arts and Humanities Month! President Obama has already kicked things off by issuing an official White House Proclamation that articulates the importance of the arts and culture in our history and in our future. He states, “In many ways, the arts and humanities reflect our national soul. They are central to who we are as Americans—as dreamers and storytellers, creators and visionaries. By investing in the arts, we can chart a course for the future in which the threads of our common humanity are bound together with creative empathy and openness.”

Get Involved

• This year, the #ShowYourArt campaign has been designed to engage arts advocates on local, state, and national levels, and to bring awareness of National Arts and Humanities Month to the public. For each day in October, the #ShowYourArt campaign will be issuing a unique theme that challenges participants to showcase how art is reflected in those themes every day. See p. 2 of this article for daily themes.
• Participate in the National Creative Conversation on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 from 9-10 p.m. ET to connect and chat with arts advocates nationwide about the arts in communities. The conversation will focus on the question of “Where are the arts popping up in your community?”
• Using these resources, organize and host a community event at a local arts venue.
• Boost your creativity by joining in the Creative Sprint, a global art game that engages individuals, businesses, schools, and community organizations for 30 consecutive days of art making and sharing.

Art therapists are uniquely positioned to speak on the role of the creative arts in mental health, a topic of great importance for individuals, communities, organizations, and legislation. Join us in promoting National Arts and Humanities month and raising awareness for the importance of the arts!